2021 Reagan National Defense Survey

Almost a year into the Biden Administration and a few months removed from the Afghanistan withdrawal, the American people are equivocal and unsure about U.S. global leadership and military capabilities. The latest Reagan National Defense Survey reveals the continuation of many trends that emerged in previous surveys, such as declining trust and confidence in the military. Across a number of different questions, though, respondents were more likely to indicate that they were unsure, that they did not have an opinion, or that their opinion depends on the circumstance—revealing a growing ambivalence about America’s role in the world. However, despite uncertainty among the American people about whether or how the United States should lead in the world, there is a significant bipartisan consensus that China is the greatest threat we face.

Amid this environment, leaders should seek to inspire the American people, as President Reagan did, to believe in a United States that leads in the world, advances the values of freedom and democracy abroad, and maintains the peace through its strength.