Peace Through Strength: What Americans Want in an Increasingly Dangerous World
The world is becoming more dangerous, with conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, and increased cooperation between America’s adversaries. And while conventional wisdom says domestic concerns dominated the 2024 election, a new poll shows Americans have given the new administration and Congress a mandate: The United States should lead on the world stage, with a strong military able to deter aggression and defend the free world.
According to the latest Reagan National Defense Survey, 89% of Americans identified foreign policy and national defense issues as important, with 55% calling them extremely important. Of particular concern to the American people are the new ways in which our authoritarian adversaries around the world are cooperating: the “no limits” partnership between China and Russia. This collaboration is marked by joint military exercises and growing energy trade, North Korea sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine while sharing missile technology with other rogue states, and Iran supplying the Russian military with drones. This burgeoning axis of autocracy threatens to undermine global stability, American interests, and freedom around the world.
The American people see the threat clearly. An overwhelming majority – 86% – are concerned about the cooperation between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. Three in four Americans worry that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will embolden other autocrats to invade their democratic neighbors. And this year saw an 8-point rise in the number of Americans citing Beijing’s military build-up as their top concern about China.
With our adversaries emboldened and on the march, Americans are rejecting isolationism. The idea that the United States can or should retreat behind two oceans simply does not resonate. Instead, 57% of Americans now say the United States should be more engaged in international events – 15 points higher than a year ago.
Instead, the public is calling for American leadership. They want the United States to lead from a position of strength. As President Reagan once said, “War comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak. It is then that tyrants are tempted.”
Eight in ten Americans support increased government spending on the military. And three-quarters believe the United States needs to boost domestic manufacturing to ensure our armed forces have the materials, equipment, and weapons necessary for national defense. More than six in ten support maintaining U.S. military bases around the world to deter aggression and enable rapid responses to crises. When asked where the United States should focus its military resources, Americans split their priorities among East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. They do not want to prioritize a single region at the expense of the others.
Over 60% of Americans think we should have a military capable of winning two separate wars – either against China and Russia or against China and a smaller country – at the same time. But right now, only half think U.S. military strength is superior to China’s, and more than a quarter think China’s military strength is equal to ours.
Parity is not sufficient. At this year’s Reagan National Defense Forum, Palantir Technologies CEO Dr. Alex Karp described the stakes: “We cannot have parity. Our adversaries do not share our moral compunctions. If it’s even, they will take advantage of our niceness, our desire for peace. They need to wake up scared and go to bed scared.” Americans agree the United States must be strong enough to keep adversaries in check – by making them think twice before challenging us.
The path forward is clear. Americans are not clamoring for endless wars, but neither do they want a world where authoritarian regimes call the shots. They want a United States that leads with strength, deters aggression, and defends freedom.