Do Americans like the United Nations?

Summary: The majority is strongly supportive of the United Nations and of United States participation in it.

In an August 1998 Wirthlin Group poll, 93% said that it is important for the US to be "an active member" of the UN (72% very important). This number was even a bit higher than for NATO --83% said that it was important for America to be an active member of NATO.

When asked in general about the UN itself, a solid majority of Americans expressed positive feelings, though support is not as strong as for the principle of US participation in the UN. Asked by Pew for their opinion of the UN in June 1999, 70% said that it was favorable (51% mostly favorable, 19% very) with 23% saying unfavorable (16% mostly, 7% very).  In a July-
September 1999 Pew poll 76% rated the UN favorably (19% very, 57% mostly) with just 19% rating it unfavorably (14% mostly, 5% very).

Americans are very responsive to the argument that participation in UN efforts ultimately serves US interests.  In the October 1999 PIPA poll, an overwhelming 78% agreed with the argument that:

Because the world is so interconnected today, the US should participate in UN efforts to maintain peace, protect human rights, and promote economic development. Such efforts serve US interests because they help create a more stable world that is less apt to have wars and is better for the growth of trade and other US goals.

Only 39% agreed with a counterargument that:

...the world is so big and complex that such [UN] efforts only make a minimal difference with little benefit to the US. Therefore it is not really in the US interest to participate in them.

Asked in a January 2000 Beldon and Russonello poll whether the UN was making a positive or negative contribution to making the world peaceful and healthy, 76% said the UN was making a very (25%) or somewhat (51%) positive contribution; only 19% said it was making a very (7%) or somewhat (12%) negative contribution.

In the same Beldon and Russonello poll presented two political candidates 65% favored the one that said, "global problems make it necessary for the US to work closely with other countries through institutions such as the UN." Just 33% favoredthe candidate that said "US intrests are best serve when we act on our own, rather than through institutions like the UN where our interests are often compromised."

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Other Related Reports: 
1) Would Americans like the UN to be stronger or do they feel that it is too strong?
2) What reservations do Americans have about the UN?
3) Do Americans want the USA to pay its UN dues in full?