Poll: Majority of Americans think UK free trade agreement will strengthen US Global Leadership, Economy, and Job Market

Americans find it important that the US or UK develop a COVID vaccine first

BOSTON Oct 2, 2020 -- A recent Emerson College poll commissioned by the Association of Marshall Scholars finds that the strong majority (61%) of Americans believe a free trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom would strengthen US global leadership. Fewer Americans, but still a majority think that such an agreement would strengthen the US economy (54%) and the US job market (50%). Americans in the Midwest most strongly think that such an agreement would strengthen the US economy (59%) and job market (62%) while those in the Northeast most strongly think an agreement would strengthen US global leadership (62%).

Americans 3 to 1 (75%) find it very important or somewhat important that the US or the UK develop a COVID-19 vaccine before other countries such as Russia, China, and Germany. 

"Over the last three years, the American public has shown strong support for a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom,” said Dr. Nell Breyer, Executive Director of the Association of Marshall Scholars. "This continued support demonstrates that despite a period of deep global uncertainty, Americans recognize the democratic norms, shared values, rule of law, and common history that have helped anchor the US-UK alliance."

The majority (60%) of Americans believe the US-UK alliance is even more important than it was five years ago. This has increased four percent from 2019, when 56% of Americans said it was more important than it was five years ago. 47% of Americans see the British as the US’s most valuable foreign partner and 37% reported shared democratic norms and values as the tie that binds the two countries. Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, 48% of Americans think the president in the next term should make the US-UK alliance a priority in the first 100 days of their term. 

Americans are split on the impact of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on its alliance with the US: 28% think it has been strengthened, 24% think it has been weakened, and 21% think it has had no impact. The plurality (38%) of Americans who live in the West think Brexit has weakened the US-UK alliance.  

Americans envision all aspects of the partnership with the British deepening or staying the same post-Brexit, including economic, security, defense, and diplomatic ties, as well as cultural exchange. A combined 90% of respondents view a good relationship with the US and UK as very important (58%) or somewhat important (32%).

The results of the year’s survey will be announced at the 2020 Marshall Forum on Cities with a conversation between 1998 Marshall Scholar Sewell Chan of the LA Times and Tom Fletcher CMG, Principal of Hertford College, Oxford University. The Marshall Forum will be hosted virtually by the Association of Marshall Scholars on Oct 2, 2020 at 1:30 pm ET. 

Methodology

All respondents interviewed in this study were part of a fully representative sample of N= 1,084 (sample size). Data were weighted by US parameters. The margin of error for the sample is +/- 2.9%. The survey was administered using landline, cell phones and online via Amazon MTurk and IVR and was conducted between September 13 and 14, 2020.

About Emerson College Polling

Emerson College Polling is part of the School of Communication at Emerson College. Emerson College Polling has been ranked as one of the most accurate collegiate pollsters by Bloomberg News and Nate Silvers' 538. Emerson College Polling is a Charter Member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) Transparency Initiative.