Americans Want Out of World Affairs

In a dramatic reversal from the years immediately after the 9/11 attacks, a near-majority, 47 percent, of Americans believe the U.S. government should be less involved in world affairs than it currently is. In addition, according to the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 30 percent said the current interaction is just right. Only 19 percent said the country should be more active. After 9/11, almost 40 percent of Americans wanted the U.S. to be more involved in the world. In the mid-‘90s, the percentage of the public that wanted the U.S. to disengage hovered around 30 percent. The poll also showed an all-time low in how voters see the president’s work on foreign policy, with only 38 percent approving.