Most Americans are supportive of several forms of foreign aid, but there’s less backing for supplying military aid or giving funds for cultural activities in other countries, according a survey released Thursday.
The new Pew Research Center poll found that most U.S. adults surveyed said they support the government providing medicine and medical supplies, 83 percent, and food and clothing, 78 percent, to developing countries.
About 60 percent of Americans backed the idea of the U.S. supporting economic development, 63 percent, in developing countries, and strengthening democracy, 61 percent, in other nations around the world.
Giving military aid and funds for cultural activities and the arts did not have as much support among the poll’s respondents. Nearly 4 in 10 people, 39 percent, said they think the U.S. should provide support and give weapons to militaries around the world. Roughly a third, 34 percent, said they think Washington should provide support for cultural activities and art in other countries, according to the poll.
The survey was conducted after President Trump cut several foreign aid programs, including gutting the U.S. Agency for International Development. A proposed budget released Friday by the White House also included massive cuts to foreign aid.
Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents were more in favor of dispatching foreign aid compared to Republicans and GOP-leaning voters, the poll found.
The majority of GOP respondents, 77 percent, said the U.S. should provide medicine and medical devices to developing countries. The support for providing food and clothing was not quite as high, but it was still backed by 68 percent of Republicans, according to the poll.
Supporting economic developments and strengthening democracy varied along party lines. Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents were nearly 30 percentage points more likely to back these initiatives compared to right-leaning individuals, the poll shows.
And just 30 percent of Republican voters were supportive of the U.S. supplying military equipment to other countries, compared to 51 percent of Democrats. Backing art and cultural activities has even less support among GOP voters at 15 percent, the survey showed.
The poll was conducted March 24-30 among 3,605 U.S. adults. The margin of error was 1.9 percentage points.
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