Democrats Out of Step with Public

A majority of Americans -- 51 percent over 38 percent -- "favor George W. Bush's call for developing a national missile defense system," according to a poll conducted in May of this year by the Pew Research Center, in collaboration with the non-governmental Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

These most recent results echo two previous studies conducted by Pew and CFR, documenting consistent public support for missile defense. In their May 2000 survey, Pew and CFR found that 52 percent of the American people supported, while 37 percent opposed, missile defense. Support for missile defense was even greater in the February 2001, with 54 percent supporting and only 32 percent opposing missile defense [Council on Foreign Relations, "Public Behind Bush on Key Foreign Issues, 6/11/01; www.cfr.org and www.people-press.org].

That three surveys conducted jointly by two organizations, neither of which carries a pro-GOP or even pro-missile defense bias, finds strong public support for missile defense is newsworthy. Yet, only a few media outlets reported these findings.

Arguments For Missile Defense Less Known, Yet More Compelling

According to the most recent CFR and Pew survey, respondents find more compelling the arguments for national missile defense, even though they are more familiar with arguments against deployment:

"Fully 60 percent have heard that the program might be too costly, and nearly half are aware of concerns that building a missile defense system could trigger a new arms race and damage relations with Russia and China. Fewer have heard the arguments, made by missile defense proponents, that such a system would protect the United States from attacks by rogue nations and accidental launches and could also be used to defend American allies. Despite the gap in awareness, however, majorities see these as important reasons to support the program; in contrast, no argument against the proposal draws majority support." [CFR poll, p.1]

Equally important was the finding that none of the arguments against a missile defense system is viewed by a majority of the public as an important reason to oppose its creation. The survey included five common counter-arguments, namely, that:

• Deployment of missile defenses is too costly;
• Deployment could trigger a new arms race;
• Technology is not yet available for a system to work;
• Relations between the U.S., Russia, and China could be damaged by deployment;
• There is no real threat to justify building a defense system.