Iran's Nuke is Highest Foreign Priority to Americans
December 18, 2003
Zogby International
Zogby Poll
Iran Nukes Should be America's Highest Foreign Priority, According to Nation's Likely Voters in Foreign Policy Association.
Americans view a potential nuclear crisis in Iran as the highest priority in foreign crises (64% rating as 4 or 5 on the scale). Fighting between Israel and the Palestinians rates a close second on the list of priorities (57%). Fewer than half of Americans assign a high priority to rebuilding Afghanistan (43%).
The Foreign Policy Association commissioned Zogby International to determine American opinion about US priorities. The poll of 1,000 likely voters was conducted September 5 - 9 from Zogby's Utica, NY Call Center, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points.
Likely voters were asked to rate the priority of several situations around the world (some actual, some hypothetical) on a five-point scale, where one indicates lower priority and five indicates a higher level of priority.
Other world situations rank considerably lower as priorities. Less than one in five consider a financial collapse in Brazil (19%) or instability and war in Indonesia (18%) as high priority. Just one in ten (11%) view war in the Congo as high priority.
Those more likely to rate fighting between Israel and the Palestinians as high priority include Easterners (68%), Republicans (62%; compared to 52% among Democrats and 53% among Independents), older respondents (50-64: 60%), college graduates (63%), whites (59%, compared to 45% among African Americans), and Jews (82%).
Liberals (61%) and progressives (63%), as well as conservatives (59%) and those who say they are very conservative (62%), are fairly aligned in their views of assigning a high priority to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
There are generally few significant demographic distinctions when assigning priority to rebuilding Afghanistan. Only among Hispanics (54%) and Jews (51%) do majorities assign high priority to rebuilding Afghanistan. Easterners (50%), college graduates (49%), and higher income earners (,000 and over: 49%) are also more likely to prioritize the rebuilding of Afghanistan.
There are relatively few significant demographic distinctions when considering a nuclear crisis in Iran, possible financial collapse in Brazil, instability and war in Indonesia, or war in the Congo.
The Foreign Policy Association (www.fpa.org) is a non-profit organization in New York City dedicated to inspiring the American public to learn more about the world.
"As Americans approach the first presidential election in decades in which foreign policy looms large, their appraisal of international developments has never counted for more," noted Noel V. Lateef, President of the Foreign Policy Association.
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