The Beltway Ponders US Global Influence

One in four DC elites believe America's influence is in decline, according to new StrategyOne survey

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to StrategyOne's recent Beltway Barometer survey, conducted January 14-17, 2010, one in four Washington elites believe that historians will look back on the 2008 financial crisis as marking the end of US hegemony on the world stage.

Over the past two years, StrategyOne has leveraged its proprietary Beltway Barometer survey to track elite Washington opinion on the issue of US world influence, fielding survey waves in September 2008, July 2009 and January 2010. While 73% of elite Washington Democrats and 72% of elite Washington Republicans currently agree that America will maintain its global preeminence, Democrats in Washington have become more optimistic since the 2008 financial crisis, whereas Republicans have become increasingly skeptical.

"With one in four elite Washington Democrats and Republicans believing that the financial crisis 'marked the end of American international dominance,' American citizens and global policy elites should pause and consider the implications," said Robert Moran, Executive Vice President of StrategyOne.

A quarter (24%) of elite DC Democrats today agree that the financial crisis marked the end of US international dominance, with 25% feeling that way in July 2009 and 39% in September 2008 during the heat of the financial meltdown.

On the other side of the aisle, elite Washington Republicans are now 13 points more likely to say that the financial crisis marked the end of US hegemony than in September 2008 (15%).

No matter the perspective, this is certainly one of the great questions of the age and StrategyOne will continue to track elite Washington sentiment on this issue.

Question Text & Data:

Some people believe that the financial crisis of 2008 marked the end of American international dominance. Do you agree or disagree?

Survey Methodology:

StrategyOne conducted 400 telephone interviews among 200 Republicans and 200 Democrats.  The overall margin of sampling error for the total N of 400 is +/-4.9%.  The margin of error for the N of 200 per party is +/-6.9%. Interviews were conducted January 14-17, 2010.

For more information on the Beltway Barometer, including full crosstabs, please visit http://www.strategyone.net/beltway-barometer.html.

About StrategyOne:

With offices in Atlanta, Chicago, London, New York, Paris, San Mateo, and Washington, D.C., StrategyOne, a Daniel J. Edelman company, employs custom public opinion research and secondary research methodologies to deliver strategic counsel to corporate, organizational and governmental clients globally. Contact us at 877-374-0813 or visit www.strategyone.net for more information.

SOURCE StrategyOne