Citizens for Global Solutions

U.S. GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT | PIPA Poll

PIPA Poll Explores American View of Democracy Promotion

October 14, 2005 -- A recent poll released by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) reveals that a majority of Americans support democracy promotion abroad, provided it is achieved through cooperative, diplomatic and pragmatic means, as opposed to methods of force. Respondents emphasized the importance of using diplomacy, through multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, instead of flexing our military muscle.

Democracy Promotion Not the Main Goal of US Foreign Policy:
49% of Americans view democracy promotion as an important goal but not necessarily the top priority of the United States foreign policy agenda. The survey indicates that a majority of Americans prefer a pragmatic way of promoting democracy, which entails assessing the cases and countries that will undergo the process.

Democracy Promotion Through Diplomatic Methods
An overwhelming majority supports the promotion of democracy through diplomacy and cooperation, including 74% of respondents in favor of offering technical assistance with free elections. 66% believe that giving development aid will also foster democratic ideals. Respondents seemed divided over whether to use diplomatic pressure on a government, but a majority was against using economic sanctions and supporting political dissidents.

Most Americans share the idea that a democracy should not be implemented through the use of force. 66% believed that threatening military intervention if a government “does not carry out some democratic reforms" does more harm than good. Furthermore, only 35% of the public supports military force to overthrow an autocratic regime.

United Nations Vital to Progress: Taking a Multilateral Approach
In the PIPA study, Americans overwhelmingly expressed the importance of a collaborative effort to achieve an efficacious outcome. 68% of respondents believed working through the UN would give democracy promotion efforts more legitimacy than if the US were to work alone. A mere quarter of respondents supported US unilateral action as a more effective means.

No Illusions about Democracy Promotion
Americans harbor no illusions of what democracy promotion will gain us. Skepticism is rampant over the benefits of democracy promotion; only 42% of respondents believed that democratic governments will be more likely to accept US policy. Only 26% believed that a more democratic world translates to a safer world.

Support for Human Rights
A majority of respondents supported pressuring governments to be conscious about and respect human rights, which in turn encourages democracy. After being asked about Burma, China, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia on a case-by-case basis, a majority, ranging between 66% and 70% for each case, preferred placing diplomatic pressure on the governments and speaking out against human rights abuses.

Qualms about US Democracy
A cornerstone of American democracy is civic engagement; it is only right and just that the American public have a say in our foreign policy. The American public, however, believes that this basic facet of democracy has depleted and the administration is unresponsive to its opinion. On a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being the least democratic and 10 being the most), respondents rated US government a 6.2. They also believe that a majority of the time, Congress does not make decisions that reflect the opinions of most Americans.

Conclusion
Most respondents believe in a collaborative and comprehensive approach to encouraging democracy globally instead of through military means alone. In light of the current administration’s foreign policy agenda, it is imperative to heed the voices of the American public as they call for a pragmatic, responsible, and diplomatic approach to democracy promotion.

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Updated October 26, 2005

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