Americans are overwhelmingly for peaceful engagement as an alternative to military intervention, according to a poll released last week by the Charles Koch Institute and the Center for the National Interest. The poll of 1000 Americans found that 52% of those polled believed that U.S. foreign policy measure over the last 15 years have made them less safe, with 25% saying that foreign policy has had no impact on their safety. In contrast, only 12% felt that U.S. foreign policy has improved their safety.
The numbers stayed almost exactly the same when respondents were asked how the U.S. foreign policy had impacted the safety of the world as a whole.
When asked whether they agreed with the statement, “The U.S. should work with existing governments and heads of state to try to promote peace rather than seeking to oust government by force” 70% of those polled were in agreement.
The poll further found that Americans favored prioritizing diplomatic efforts over military power, and found that, in general, Americans are hesitant to send U.S. military forces into conflict. In fact, when asked if the U.S. should support allied countries in military conflict with Russia, only 26% of respondents agreed with military intervention.
