The Public’s Commitment toward US Leadership of the Liberal International Order

This chapter addresses whether the election of President Donald Trump in 2016 signaled a sea change among the public toward US leadership in the world and the liberal international order. It compares Trump’s foreign policy orientation with others throughout American history to distinguish whether and how it breaks from tradition. Next, the chapter analyses how public opinion toward the liberal international order has changed over the past 50 years. Finding the public opinion surprisingly stable, the discussion turns to the relationship between public opinion and actual policy formation. The chapter concludes that public attitudes will remain supportive of the LIO in the near and midterm, although both demographic changes and growing internal contestations may affect long-term support.