Six key polls show that regardless of political affiliation, gender or race, a vast majority of Americans support foreign aid and development assistance and see it as a way to help restore American credibility and make the world a safer place.
Key Findings:
1) America’s image has suffered abroad in past years. There is wide support for the use of “smart power” tools such as foreign assistance to help restore our leadership and make the world a safer place.
- 83% of respondents agree effective foreign assistance can be successful in improving American’s image abroad and making the country safer (ASP).
- 70% feel that when thinking about America's leadership role in the world, things are off on the wrong track (ASP).
- 73% agree that America’s moral authority in the world has declined significantly making it much harder to persuade our allies to work with us (ASP).
- 95% of respondents feel the decline of America’s moral leadership in the world is a serious problem, including 89% Republicans and 98% Democrats (ASP).
- 69% support providing economic assistance to poor countries to prevent them from becoming terrorist havens (Third Way/Penn Schoen & Berland).
- 52% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats call for the Bush administration to put more emphasis on diplomatic and economic methods, rather than military might, to combat terrorism. (PIPA)
- 68% of respondents are dissatisfied with the position of the United States in the world today—this is up from 51% in 2005 (PIPA).
2) Americans, regardless of political party, support giving development assistance to other countries.
- 83% said they support U.S. humanitarian development assistance to other countries, including 86% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats (Interaction).
- 87% of those polled believe the U.S. should give foreign assistance in the event of drought, famine, flood, or other natural disasters. 69% think our government should give assistance to reduce poverty, provide education, among other humanitarian projects (Interaction).
- 95% said helping other countries when they are struck by natural disasters like the tsunami in Indonesia is important, 71% of those said it is very important (PAF).
- 95% said cooperating with other countries on problems like the environment or control of diseases is important, 70% said it was very important (PAF).
- 92% believe in improving the treatment of women in other countries, 57% said it was very important (PAF).
- 88% believe in helping people in poor countries to get an education, 51% said it was very important (PAF).
- 88% believe it is important to help poor countries move out of poverty (PAF).
- When asked whether or not they would like for their Congressmen to get the U.S. to increase the priority of fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, 68% wanted to increase and 57% wanted to increase the priority of building goodwill to the U.S. by giving food and medical assistance. (PIPA)
- People would on average increase the current budget for helping poor countries develop their economies from $7.3 billion to $24.76 billion. (PIPA)
- People would support on average increasing funding to control the spread of HIV/AIDS from $2 billion to $21 billion. (PIPA)
- 62% of people would support increasing the funding for humanitarian and disaster assistance from $1.4 billion to $26.83 billion (PIPA).
- 93% of Americans feel child survival should be a priority in terms of U.S. international aid priorities. When divided by party, 97% of Democrats and 88% of Republicans say it should be important (USCCS).
- 84% of respondents would support the U.S. Congress providing more funding to reduce the top preventable causes of death among children, with 60% strongly supporting. When separated by gender, 80% of males and 89% females support this effort (USCCS).
- 81% of Americans support the U.S. Commitment to Global Child Survival Act which would raise funding for child survival to $1.6 billion by 2012 and would cost $7 per American (USCCS).
3) Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire support foreign assistance (all polling data from ONE polls).
IOWA
- 98% of Iowa Democrats believe America’s standing and stature in the world has suffered in recent years and this is damaging to American interests. 62% Republicans agree.
- 93% of Democrats believe it is in keeping w/ the country’s values and our history of compassion to lead an effort to solve some of the most serious problems facing the world’s poorest people. 73% of Reps agree.
- 77% of Republicans believe America needs a stronger effort to improve diplomatic relations and use foreign assistance to help potential friends and allies around the world and we have a moral obligation to address problems like disease, hunger and the lack of economic opportunity in the poorest countries. 94% of Democrats agree.
- 86% of Democrats believe reducing poverty, treating preventable diseases, and improving education in poor countries around the world will help make the world safer and the U.S. more secure. 66% of Republicans agree.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
- 93% of Democrats and 84% of Republicans believe we have a moral obligation to do what we can to help millions of children around the world who are dying from preventable diseases and hunger.
- 91% of Democrats and 78% of Republicans believe a strong military must be complemented with a stronger effort to improve diplomatic relations and use foreign assistance to help potential friends and allies around the world.
- 97% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans believe American standing and stature in the world has suffered in recent years and this is damaging to American interests.
- 81% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans believe reducing poverty, treating preventable diseases and improving education in poor countries around the world will help make the world safer and the U.S. more secure.
