Poll: Majority of Americans continue to support a US-UK bilateral trade deal
BOSTON — A recent Emerson College poll commissioned by the Association of Marshall Scholars finds the majority of Americans (62%) support a bilateral trade deal with the UK (13% opposed). This is the second continual year that the poll found strong support despite increased political uncertainty (63% supported in 2018). Americans largely think the nation’s alliance with the United Kingdom will be stronger or stay the same upon departure from the European Union.
Nearly 3-to-1 (58%) believe the ‘special relationship’ with the United Kingdom is even more important today than it was five years ago. 40% of Americans see the British as the most valuable foreign partner and 47% reported shared democratic norms and values as the tie that binds.
“The transatlantic alliance appears to be increasingly important in the eyes of the American public,” said Dr. Nell Breyer, Executive Director of the Association of Marshall Scholars. “Despite a period of deep uncertainty for the British public, Americans voice strong support for continuing to advance economic and strategic ties between the United States and the United Kingdom.”
Much like the split in British public opinion, a plurality of Americans opposed Brexit (37%) with 29% in favor.
Americans envision all aspects of the partnership with the British deepening post-Brexit, including economic, security, defense, and diplomatic ties, as well as cultural exchange.
Despite being a top strategic partner with the US, 51% of Americans rated China as the #1 most attractive for business and trade and Canada at #2 (18%). A combined 89% of respondents view a good relationship with the US and UK as very important (61%) or somewhat important (28%).
“It appears that, at least from the American perspective, a very special relationship still exists between the UK and the US. That is demonstrated in the unusually high consensus around the issue,” said Emerson College Pollster and Assistant Professor, Spencer Kimball.
Full results and cross-tabulation data available, AMS Study 2019.
Methodology
All respondents interviewed in this study were part of a fully representative sample of N= 1600 (sample size). Data were weighted by US parameters. The margin of error for the sample is +/- 2.4%. The survey was administered using both landline, cellphones and online via Survey Sampling International (Dynate) and IVR and was conducted between October 24-26, 2019.
