Think U.S. Should Mind Its Own Business

In a December Pew Research Center survey, more than four-in-ten Americans (42%) took the view that the U.S. should “mind its own business internationally,” about the same number as in October 2005, but up significantly from 34% who subscribed to the isolationist view in 2004 and just 30% in 2002.As was the case in 2005, the survey found major socioeconomic and political differences in views on this issue. About half of those with a high school education or less (51%) believe that the U.S. should mind its own business internationally, compared with just a quarter of college graduates. Politically, conservative and moderate Democrats are the only group in which a majority (51%) agrees with this statement. By contrast, conservative Republicans disagree by about three-to-one (73%-24%); views of the other political groups are more mixed. Read More