An Inward Turn?: Public Opinion, Partisanship, and American Foreign Policy

Does American public opinion favor domestic priorities over international engagement? At the moment, not any more than historically typical. The public has long prioritized inward-facing foreign policies while still supporting a range of internationalist foreign policies. At the same time, we could be witnessing the beginnings of a shift in partisan attitudes about foreign policy. Significant differences between Democrats and Republicans exist over a relatively small number of highly salient and divisive issues. On the one hand, these differences might reflect normal disagreements over which policies to pursue to achieve a shared end goal. On the other hand, these differences could portend a change in foreign policy attitudes with Republicans becoming more insular while Democrats becoming more supportive of international engagement. This chapter considers these questions in reference to attitudes on the role of the United States in the world, foreign policy goals and priorities, international threats, and policies toward Russia, China, and international economics.