The Abstract to my thesis

Part public opinion poll, part diplomatic history; this paper examines the link between American Grand Strategy and public opinion. I begin by examining the link between a voter’s civic knowledge and their policy preferences on issues related to trade, immigration, security and the environment. I find that, contrary to the literature I reviewed on public opinion, Americans are generally supportive of immigration, international trade and international environmental regulations regardless of their level of civic knowledge. I also found that, even in light of America’s experience in Iraq, Americans appear to be prepared to support humanitarian interventions within certain parameters. When I examined my findings in the context of two past American foreign interventions, I came to the conclusion that the American public today is eager to see the U.S. participate in both the global economy and to continue its traditional role in the international security environment. In fact, in many ways, the American public may be too internationalist, in that they may have too much faith in international institutions such as the U.N. and NATO.