Foreign Relations Top Agenda for US Influentials

Foreign relations ranks as the number one concern among 'Influential Americans' according NOP World's latest survey of the US opinion-forming elite. The group's Roper Public Affairs division says concern about the country's international ties is at an all-time high among this key group.

Influentials are described as 'the 10% of the population who drive what the other 90% think, do and buy'. More than half (52%) say they are 'personally concerned' about United States foreign relations, up from 45% in 2004, 40% in 2003 and just 28% in 2002 when the 9/11 attacks dominated thinking and the Iraq war was still in the future.

As yet, the general public do not on the whole share this concern: 'Influential Americans' are nearly twice as likely to be concerned about foreign affairs as the general population. The latter's number one concern is the rising cost of healthcare, with 43% saying they are 'personally concerned'.

Annie Weber, Director of Roper's Washington, DC office, says Americans typically do not show a great deal of concern about international affairs. 'This new data for Influential Americans suggest that could change, as this segment tends to drive word-of-mouth and future trends'. MD Brad Fay suggests this may be one reason why senators are thinking carefully about the pending nomination of a US ambassador to the United Nations: 'Influential Americans are exactly the people who Senators and Congressmen hear from first'.

Concerns about healthcare costs have risen steadily among the general public but peaked last year among the 'Influentials'. Terrorism still ranks as third on the list for both groups, despite a fall in concern from a high of 61% for the general public and 45% for Influential Americans in 2003. Concerns about the breakdown of the family are also increasing among both Influential Americans and the general public, rising from 30% in 2004 to 36% in 2005 for the Influential Americans, and 25% in 2004 to 29% in 2005 for the general public. Weber suggests the cyclical rise and fall of the last of these during presidential terms may relate to the strong focus placed on 'family values' by candidates - 'Influential Americans follow campaigns and political news very closely'.

NOPWorld is online at www.nopworld.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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