Most Americans want the United States to take a leading role on the world stage and say U.S. dominance should be backed by a strong military, according to a just-released survey by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

The institute’s 2024 National Defense Survey was conducted immediately after the 2024 presidential election. As Washington transitions from the Biden to the Trump administration, the findings indicate a bipartisan majority rejects isolationism and wants the U.S. to spend more on national defense, researchers said.

“Year after year, this survey shows continued, unwavering support for peace through strength,” Ronald Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim said. “Trust and confidence in the military is rebounding after hitting a low in recent years.”

According to the survey, 57% of Americans, including 61% of those who voted for President-elect Donald Trump, want more engagement in international affairs — a 15-percentage-point increase over last year. Almost 80% of the respondents say the U.S. should spend more on national defense.

Half of Americans say China poses the greatest threat to the U.S., while 25% say the country’s leading adversary is Russia, which is fighting Ukraine in the largest ground war in Europe since WWII. More than 60% of those polled say the U.S. military should be large enough to win two simultaneous wars at once.

“Americans support increased defense spending to build a military able to deter and defeat adversaries in multiple wars,” Mr. Zakheim said.

The U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than $61 billion in military assistance since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Almost three years later, most Americans still favor sending weapons and ammunition to Kyiv but want a negotiated end to the war. Almost 60% support Ukraine negotiating for peace, even if it means conceding some territory to Russia, according to the survey.

The plight of U.S. citizens held hostage by the Palestinian militant group Hamas is the priority in the Middle East. The survey illustrated a stark difference in how voters for Vice President Kamala Harris and Mr. Trump regard military support for Israel. About 46% of Harris backers are in favor, while 67% of Trump voters say security assistance to Israel should continue.

The survey was conducted Nov. 8-14 and included 1,008 telephone interviews and 1,502 online surveys, researchers said.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.