A study coauthored by URI Political Science professors Ping Xu, Ashlea Rundlett, Brendan “Skip” Mark, and Brian Krueger, together with URI students Caroline Fowler (M.A. in International Relations) and Nina Kussau (exchange student, University of Jena), was recently published in Social Science Quarterly. The research analyzes data from the 2020 American National Election Studies (ANES) survey to evaluate how political elites shape Americans’ views of international organizations.

In an era marked by Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, a rollback of globalization, and growing political backlash against international organizations, this study offers timely insight into how political leadership shapes public attitudes toward global cooperation. By examining how Trump’s rhetoric influenced Americans’ views of the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and NATO, the research shows that elite cues can significantly shift public opinion—even on long-standing pillars of U.S. foreign policy.

The findings of this research highlights that Trump supporters were the most responsive to his negative framing  and rhetoric on international organizations. It also challenges the common belief that political knowledge always leads to independent thinking; instead, it suggests that politically knowledgeable Trump supporters may use their knowledge to reinforce elite-driven narratives, making them the most likely to hold negative attitudes toward these key international institutions. In a time when skepticism toward global institutions is rising, this study helps us better understand how domestic politics and leadership rhetoric can shape the public’s willingness to engage with the international community. 

Link to the full article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.70012