In this article for the LSE US Centre’s United States Politics and Policy blog, I challenge some recent survey reports that claim that public opinion overwhelmingly and with bipartisan support maintains an internationalist outlook on things like free trade, alliances, and the overall U.S. role in global affairs. Some suggest that because multilateralism and trade enjoy high popularity among the electorate, they will be politically advantageous stances and the United States is likely to re-engage in global affairs following the last four years characterized by protectionism and retrenchment. However, using five years of survey data on foreign policy attitudes, I show that it is crucial to distinguish between supporting internationalist principles and supporting internationalist policies.
Jonathan Schulman 