WASHINGTON — In this time of foreign war, more and more Americans believe that foreign policy should be a top priority for the US government in 2024, with a new poll showing that international concerns and immigration are increasingly top of mind for the public.
About 4 in 10 American adults mentioned foreign policy topics in an open-ended question that asked people to share up to five issues the administration could work on in the coming year, according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
That's about twice as many people who mentioned the topic in last year's AP-NORC survey.
Longstanding economic concerns continue to overshadow other issues. But the new poll's findings indicate increased concern about U.S. involvement abroad, with 20% expressing that sentiment in the poll, up from 5% a year ago.
It also shows that the war between Israel and Hamas is fueling public anxiety. The conflict was mentioned by 5%, while almost no one mentioned it a year ago. The issue has dominated geopolitics since Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza following that group's attack on Israeli territory on October 7.
Four percent of American adults cited the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as something their government should focus on this year. That compares with the 6% it cited at the end of 2022.
Foreign policy has gained importance among respondents from both parties. About 46% of Republicans mentioned it, up from 23% last year. And 34% of Democrats cite foreign policy as a concern, up from 16% a year ago.
Warren E. Capito, a Republican from Gordonsville, Virginia, worries that China could soon invade Taiwan, creating a third major potential source of global conflict for the US. “They would like to see us split in three directions,” he said of China, and “we are already spread so thin.”
Immigration is also a growing concern for both parties.
Overall, the poll found that concerns about immigration rose to 35% from 27% last year. Most Republicans, 55%, say the government should focus on immigration in 2024, while 22% of Democrats list immigration as a priority. That is 45% and 14% respectively compared to December 2022.
Janet Brewer has lived in San Diego, across the street from Tijuana, Mexico, all her life and said the situation at the border has worsened in recent years.
“It's a disaster,” said Brewer, 69, who works part-time after running a small business in secretarial, legal and medical transcriptions. “It's crazy.”
The politics of foreign military aid and immigration policy are intertwined, with President Joe Biden's administration promoting a $110 billion package that includes aid to Ukraine and Israel that remains stalled in Congress while Republicans push for a agreement that allows major changes in immigration policy and stricter measures. enforcement along the US-Mexico border.
Brewer said she would not vote for Biden or a Republican for president in 2024, and might opt for independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But she also wonders whether a change in the White House would necessarily change immigration policy improve.
As for foreign aid, she said, “I know we have to help. But come on. We have done enough.”
Even as immigration and foreign policy became increasingly important, these issues could not outweigh concerns about the economy. Inflation is down, unemployment is low and the US has repeatedly defied predictions of a recession – but this poll adds to a string of those showing a bleak view of the economy.
About 76% of American adults this time said they want the government to act on issues related to the economy in 2024, nearly the same as the 75% who said so this time in 2022.
About 85% of Republicans and 65% of Democrats cite the economy as a top issue. But Republicans are more likely than Democrats to want the government to address some specific economic issues: inflation 41% versus 22% and government spending or debt 22% versus 7%.
Meanwhile, three in 10 U.S. adults cited inflation as an issue the government should focus on, unchanged from 2022.
The economy is one of the top issues cited by 18 to 29 year olds (84%), followed specifically by inflation (39%), personal finance (38%) and foreign policy (34%). In the same age range, 32% cited education or school loans as something the government should address by 2024. That's despite the Biden administration making new, more modest efforts to forgive debt after the Supreme Court struck down its larger initial push.
Of people aged 30 and over, only 19% mention student loans. But Travis Brown, a 32-year-old forklift operator in Las Vegas, noticed he's getting calls again asking for payments on his student loans.
“Right now, with the economy, wages are out of alignment,” Brown said. “The workers are disappearing and I don't see how that will boost an economy. An economy thrives because of the working class. Not from the rich.”
Brown also suggested that the US is too focused on sending aid to its overseas allies.
“I care about others, I do,” he said. “But if you sit here and say, 'I just sent $50 million to Israel,' and then I go outside and see half a neighborhood run down… you have to take care of your house.”
One possible sign that broader sentiment about the economy could be improving somewhat is that overall mentions of personal financial problems have fallen somewhat, with 30% now mentioning them, compared to 37% last year. Declines occurred among Democrats, 27% versus 33%, and among Republicans, down to 30% versus 37% in 2022.
A quarter of American adults say 2024 will be a better year than 2023 for them personally, and 24% expect it to be a worse year. About 37% of Republicans expect it will be a worse year for them, compared to 20% of independents and 13% of Democrats.
Only 5% of American adults are “extremely” or “very” confident that the federal government can make progress on the important issues facing the country in 2024, with 7% of Democrats and 11% of independents is optimistic, compared to 1% of American adults. % Republicans.
Brown is a Democrat but said he was disillusioned enough to perhaps postpone the presidential election — especially if it turns out to be a 2020 rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump, who has built an impressive early lead in the Republican primaries from 2024.
“I don't think I'll participate and maybe that's a bad thing,” Brown said. “But it's like losing confidence.”
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The survey of 1,074 adults was conducted from November 30 to December. August 4, 2023, using a sample from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to represent the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points for all respondents.