Top U.S. Foreign Policy Priority: National Security

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Before the U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, Americans prioritized preventing direct security threats and furthering national economic interests over broader nation-building and development efforts overseas. Among 11 possible foreign policy goals for the U.S. to pursue, the public continued to assign the greatest importance to preventing international terrorism (83%), thwarting the spread of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (80%), and securing adequate energy supplies for the U.S. (76%).

Majorities also rated alliance and economic matters as very important. Roughly two-thirds said working with multinational organizations such as NATO to protect U.S. and allied security (68%), defending allies’ security (65%), and promoting favorable trade policies in foreign markets (64%) are very important goals.

Humanitarian and human rights objectives garnered somewhat less importance, though they still commanded majority backing. About six in 10 Americans said helping reduce poverty and disease worldwide (61%) and promoting and defending human rights in other countries (55%) are very important goals.

Meanwhile, less than half said protecting weaker nations against foreign aggression (46%), helping other countries build democracies (36%) and promoting economic development in other countries (31%) are very important. Still, a majority of Americans said each of these issues is at least a “somewhat important” foreign policy goal for the U.S.

These findings are based on Gallup's annual World Affairs poll, conducted Feb. 2-16, 2026, before the attacks on Iran began on Feb. 28. In the month before the poll was fielded, the U.S. military attacked Venezuela, captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and brought them to the U.S. to face charges. In addition, in January, President Donald Trump intensified his push to make Greenland part of the U.S. before eventually announcing an agreement.

The latest readings are the eighth since 2001 for five core policies — defending our allies’ security, preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, securing adequate energy supplies, helping other countries build democracies, and promoting and defending human rights in other countries. The question about international terrorism was first asked in 2003. This year’s top three issues have ranked as most important each time they have been measured.

Gallup last asked Americans to rate 10 of these 11 foreign policy goals one year ago, and two are now seen as significantly more important than they were in 2025. Both involve actions on foreign soil — defending allies’ security (rising from 59% very important to 65%) and promoting and defending human rights in other countries (from 48% to 55%). In addition, protecting weaker nations from foreign aggression, which was last asked in 2008, is now viewed as a very important goal by more Americans (rising from 36% to 46%).

Republicans Focused on Goals at Home; Democrats Both Home and Abroad

Majorities of Americans across party lines agree that protecting the U.S. from direct security threats and economic ills are very important foreign policy goals, but partisan divides emerge when the goals shift from homeland protection and economic growth to international pursuits.

• There is broad bipartisan consensus on the importance of preventing both international terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons, securing adequate energy supplies in the U.S. and promoting favorable trade policies for the U.S. Republicans place much greater importance on the U.S. energy supply than Democrats and independents do.
• Majorities of Democrats and independents but less than half of Republicans say four other goals are very important, including working with NATO to keep the U.S. and its allies secure, helping to reduce poverty and disease around the world, defending our allies’ security, and promoting human rights in other countries.
• Democrats are alone in their belief that it is very important to protect weaker nations from foreign aggression.
• Less than half of Americans from each party group think helping other countries build democracies and promoting economic development in other countries rise to the level of being very important. Still, Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to rate each as very important.

While Republicans’ top goals align with those of all Americans, generally, Democrats’ top two goals are working with NATO to protect the U.S. and its allies and helping reduce poverty and disease around the world.

Democrats’ prioritization of working with NATO and Republicans’ lower prioritization of it are likely in response to Trump’s sharp criticisms of the alliance, which he reiterated at the World Economic Forum in Davos less than two weeks before Gallup’s February poll began.

Support for Increased Commitment to NATO Rises

A separate question in the February poll asked Americans about their preference for the United States’ commitment to NATO. While the plurality of Americans, 49%, persist in calling for a continuation of the U.S. commitment as it is, the share expressing a desire for an increased commitment from the U.S. is up to 28%, from 20% in 2024. Another 14% of U.S. adults would like to see a decreased commitment but still remain in NATO, and 7% call for a complete withdrawal.

This higher support for increasing the United States’ commitment to NATO is driven primarily by Democrats, whose backing has risen 22 percentage points since 2024 to 49%. Roughly the same share of Democrats, 48%, call for keeping the United States’ commitment as it is now, while essentially none call for a decreased commitment or complete withdrawal.

At the same time, a slim majority of Republicans, 52%, want the U.S. to hold steady in its commitment, 28% prefer a decrease, 13% back a withdrawal from the alliance, and just 6% favor an increase. Independents’ preferences are similar to the national averages.

Americans Say U.S. Spending Too Much on Foreign Aid

When asked about the United States’ spending on foreign aid, 42% of Americans say it is spending too much, 31% too little and 21% about the right amount. When this measure was tracked seven times between 2001 and 2009, majorities ranging from 53% to 65% thought the U.S. was spending too much, and no more than 10% thought it was paying too little. The current views differ from what Gallup measured between 2001 and 2009, when majorities consistently said the U.S. was spending too much and relatively few said too little.

In 2009, majorities of Republicans (66%), independents (70%) and Democrats (58%) agreed that the U.S. was overspending on foreign aid. Democrats have undergone a complete reversal, with 58% now saying the U.S. is spending too little, while 61% of Republicans persist in believing it is too much. Independents are less likely now than they were in 2009 to say the U.S. is paying too much, although the plurality (45%) still say so. Democrats’ shift may be attributed to the cuts that Trump has made to the United States’ foreign aid spending.

Public Continues to View Foreign Trade as Opportunity for Economic Growth

Gallup’s annual measure tracking Americans’ views of the economic impact of foreign trade finds a steady 82% saying it represents more of an opportunity for economic growth than a threat (13%) to the U.S. from foreign imports. Last year, this reading surged 20 points to 81%, which was similar to the prior high of 79% at the end of Trump’s first presidential term.

Majorities of all three party groups continue to see foreign trade as an opportunity, including 89% of Democrats, 81% of independents and 74% of Republicans. All three groups viewed trade in similarly positive terms during Trump’s first presidency, but they were less positive during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Republicans’ views on foreign trade have fluctuated more than Democrats’ and independents’ since 2017. These shifts are likely the result of their levels of confidence in Republican Trump and Democrat Biden to negotiate favorable trade deals for the U.S.

Bottom Line

When it comes to their top foreign policy goals, Americans continue to prioritize U.S. security and economic interests over outreach to other countries. Whereas Republicans assign more importance to core national defense and economic matters, Democrats elevate U.S. interests and global pursuits aimed at promoting stability and human rights internationally.

Support for maintaining or increasing U.S. commitment to NATO has edged up, due almost entirely to Democrats. Meanwhile, views of foreign aid are markedly different from the prior reading in 2009, with fewer Americans saying the U.S. spends too much, and far more, especially Democrats, saying it spends too little. At the same time, foreign trade is broadly viewed as an economic opportunity across party lines.

Stay up to date with the latest insights by following @Gallup on X and on Instagram.

Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).