Many Americans say the U.S. is not a moral leader but want it to be: NPR/Ipsos poll

"Americans from across the political spectrum say the U.S. should be the moral leader of the world, but far fewer believe that it actually is today, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll. In the nationwide survey, 61% of respondents said that the U.S. should be a moral leader, but only 39% say it actually is one. That latter figure is sharply down from 60% in 2017 in a similar survey of American attitudes. The latest survey also shows that nearly half the country prefers Washington to stay out of the affairs of other countries."

"Providing a bigger picture of Americans' foreign policy perspectives, the NPR/Ipsos poll suggests that 46% of Americans want U.S. policy to focus on "enriching America and Americans," while 32% prioritize promoting democracy and human rights in other countries with the democracy viewpoint dropping from 42% in 2017. The latest NPR/Ipsos survey polled a nationally representative sample of 1,021 Americans ahead of the end of President Trump's first year in office in his second term."

61% of respondents said the U.S. should be a moral leader, but only 39% say it actually is one, down from 60% in 2017. Nearly half the country prefers Washington to stay out of the affairs of other countries. A separate Ipsos-Reuters poll on a related Venezuela operation found public opinion roughly split into three equal parts: one-third approving, a third unsure and a third disapproving. The NPR/Ipsos poll shows 46% want U.S. policy to focus on "enriching America and Americans," while 32% prioritize promoting democracy and human rights abroad, down from 42% in 2017. The survey sampled 1,021 Americans and has a margin of error of ±3.3 percentage points. Sixty-four percent view the U.S. as the world's top military power, and 50% think the U.S. has been losing influence globally over the past five years.

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