DATE=2/13/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-38968
TITLE=U-S POLICYMAKERS AND PUBLIC OPINION
BYLINE=TOM MAHONEY
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE LOOMING SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAQ
CURRENTLY DOMINATES PRESIDENT CLINTON'S FOREIGN POLICY
DELIBERATIONS AND THOSE OF CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS FROM BOTH
PARTIES. TWO UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND PROFESSORS RECENTLY
COMPLETED A TWO-YEAR STUDY EXAMINING HOW MEMBERS OF THE U-S
FOREIGN POLICY COMMUNITY VIEW AMERICAN ATTITUDES ABOUT THIS
COUNTRY'S INTERNATIONAL INVOLVEMENT. AS WE HEAR FROM V-O-A'S TOM
MAHONEY, POLICYMAKERS OFTEN FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAJORITY
OF AMERICANS ARE THINKING:
TEXT: THE FINDINGS OF PROFESSORS I.M. "MAC" DESTLER AND STEVEN
KULL CALL INTO QUESTION WHETHER MEMBERS OF THE U-S FOREIGN POLICY
COMMUNITY -- ESPECIALLY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THE MEDIA --
FULLY UNDERSTAND AMERICAN ATTITUDES ON A RANGE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
MATTERS. THEIR REPORT IS ENTITLED, "THE FOREIGN POLICY GAP: HOW
POLICYMAKERS MISREAD THE PUBLIC."
MAC DESTLER IS DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL AND
SECURITY STUDIES AT MARYLAND AND STEVEN KULL DIRECTS THE CENTER'S
PROGRAM ON INTERNATIONAL POLICY ATTITUDES. PROFESSOR KULL SAYS
PART OF THE MISREADING OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES COMES FROM THE
COMPARATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF CITIZENS WHO EXPRESS STRONG POINTS
OF VIEW TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES OR THE MEDIA:
/// KULL ACT ///
IT APPEARS POLICYMAKERS ARE PARTICULARLY ATTENTIVE TO
THE PEOPLE WHO CALL AND WRITE. AND IT APPEARS AMONG
THAT PART OF THE PUBLIC THERE'S A DISSATISFACTION WITH
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY. AND THEY WANT AMERICAN FOREIGN
POLICY TO FOCUS MORE ON PROBLEMS AT HOME. BUT IF YOU
ASK THE BROAD SAMPLE OF AMERICANS, THERE IS STRONG
SUPPORT FOR AMERICANS TO STAY ENGAGED IN THE WORLD.
/// END ACT ///
/// OPT /// PROFESSOR KULL SAYS MANY OF THOSE SURVEYED THINK THE
UNITED STATES IS DOING MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE INTERNATIONALLY.
BUT HE SAYS THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY WANT TO WITHDRAW FROM GLOBAL
AFFAIRS. /// END OPT///
PROFESSOR DESTLER BELIEVES THE RESULTS OF THE 1994 ELECTION SENT
AN INCORRECT MESSAGE TO POLITICAL LEADERS.
/// DESTLER ACT ///
THE BIG REPUBLICAN VICTORY IN 1994, WHICH WAS ONLY
PARTIALLY REVERSED IN 1996. AND THE PEOPLE WHO CAME
INTO CONGRESS IN MANY CASES STATED THEIR INTERPRETATION
OF THEIR VICTORY, IN PART, AS A VOTE AGAINST CERTAIN
FORMS OF U-S ENGAGEMENT -- AGAINST U-N PEACEKEEPING
PARTICIPATION, FOR EXAMPLE. OR CUTTING BACK ON THINGS
LIKE FOREIGN AID. IT'S FAIRLY NATURAL FOR POLITICIANS,
OR EVEN EXECUTIVE BRANCH PEOPLE AND PRESS PEOPLE TO SEE
THIS VOTE [IN 1994] -- WHICH EVERYBODY AGREES WAS NOT
ON FOREIGN POLICY -- AND SAY THAT MUST MEAN WE HAVE A
PUBLIC THAT IS RESISTING MOVING FORWARD ON THESE ISSUES.
/// END ACT ///
STEVEN KULL SAYS THE PUBLIC WANTS THE UNITED STATES TO STAY
ENGAGED IN WORLD AFFAIRS, BUT THEY ALSO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
UNITED STATES BECOMMING AN INTERNATIONAL POLICEMAN:
/// KULL ACT ///
AND THIS IS COMING UP, I THINK, IN RELATION TO THE
PROBLEM WITH IRAQ. I THINK THE PULSE OF PUBLIC IS
SUPPOTIVE OF INTERVENING THERE AND GETTING INVOLVED IN
USING FORCE. THERE IS CONCERN, THOUGH, ABOUT WHETHER
OTHER COUNTRIES WILL JOIN WITH US. THERE HAVE BEEN
POLLS THAT SHOW IF OTHERS DON'T, SUPPORT DROPS OFF
PRETTY DRAMATICALLY. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE PUBLIC IS
SAYING WE ONLY WANT TO DO IT IF OTHERS ARE THERE. BUT
IF WE GO AHEAD AND USE FORCE, AND OTHERS AREN'T THERE,
IT'S GOING TO FEED THIS FEELING THAT IT'S ALWAYS THE U-S
THAT'S OUT FRONT. I ANTICIPATE THAT WILL BE A
CONTINUING ISSUE.
/// END ACT ///
///OPT/// THIS TWO-YEAR STUDY BY PROFESSORS' KULL AND DESTLER
INCLUDED IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS, NATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION POLLS AND A
SERIES OF WORKSHOPS. THEY QUESTIONED TWO-THOUSAND-400 AMERICANS
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER VIEWS OF ISSUES
HAD CHANGED.
THEY QUESTIONED MORE THAN 80 MEMBERS OF THE U-S FOREIGN POLICY
COMMUNITY -- INCLUDING THOSE SERVING IN A VARIETY OF POSITIONS IN
CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION. THEY ALSO SPOKE WITH
JOURNALISTS AND SCHOLARS AT A NUMBER OF FOREIGN POLICY
INSTITUTES. ///END OPT///
PROFESSOR DESTLER SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO LEARN WHAT
POLICYMAKERS WERE THINKING:
/// DESTLER ACT ///
WE ASKED PEOPLE WHO ARE POLICY PRACTIONERS WHAT SORTS OF
QUESTIONS THEY WOULD ASK, WHAT THEY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO
ASK THE PUBLIC IN A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY. ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT CAME OUT IN A NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS WAS
NOBODY EVER PUTS OUT A SPOT [POLITICAL AD] IN FAVOR OF
U-S ENGAGEMENT. THEY ALWAYS DO IT AGAINST IT AND
THEREFORE THE IDEA IS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE AFRAID OF
WHAT WILL HURT THEM.
/// END ACT ///
PROFESSOR DESTLER SAYS POLITICIANS ARE AFRAID THAT A 30-SECOND
POLITICAL ATTACK AD WILL TAKE THEM MUCH LONGER TO ANSWER...AND
THAT THE MEDIA WILL BE UNWILLING TO GRANT THEM SUFFICIENT TIME TO
RESPOND.
MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOREIGN POLICY GAP DOCUMENTED BY
PROFESSORS DESTLER AND KULL. AS THE UNITED STATES PREPARES FOR A
POSSIBLE CONFRONTATION WITH IRAQ, THE GOOD NEWS FOR PRESIDENT
CLINTON AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IS THE GENERALLY HIGH LEVEL OF
SUPPORT FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE...AS LONG AS THEY ARE CONVINCED
THE UNITED STATES IS NOT CARRYING A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF
THE BURDEN. [SIGNED]
NEB/TM/RRM
13-Feb-98 2:58 PM EST (1958 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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