What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending July 8, 2017

This week a divided nation celebrated the anniversary of the signing of one of its founding documents while its new president made his second trip abroad.

A majority of Americans correctly recognize that the Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Most still rate Independence Day high on their list of holidays.

Just 49% of Americans believe the United States, as the Pledge of Allegiance states, is a nation with liberty and justice for all, but 75% still say they wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world but here. 

Thirty-six percent (36%) say the United States is heading in the right direction.

Voters here strongly believe world leaders need to confront North Korea with military force if necessary to end the rogue communist nation’s push for nuclear weapons. But a growing number say the United States should go it alone if necessary.

At the same time, however, most voters already think our military is stretched too thin and don’t want the United States policing the world.

A majority of voters (55%) say the most important mission of the U.S. military is to fight our enemies. Twenty-eight percent (28%) think the military’s most important mission is to serve as peacekeepers to prevent fighting from breaking out in other parts of the world. Voters continue to give the military high marks for its performance.

The Supreme Court has temporarily allowed President Trump’s newest travel ban against people from six majority-Muslim nations to go into effect, but with strict limitations, and they still intend to hear arguments on the ban in October. Trump claims the ban will keep the country safe, but voters are not sure they agree.

In other surveys this week:

-- After reaching its highest level in a decade, voter confidence in members of Congress is back down.

-- The House passed legislation last week that cuts off some funding to cities that protect illegal immigrants and increases penalties for those who reenter the United States illegally after being deported. Voters strongly support the latter but are now closely divided regarding funds for sanctuary cities.

-- Voters are divided as to whether the federal government has too much control over state and local governments, but most agree that states and localities do not have the right to ignore laws they don’t agree with.

-- Most Americans think there are too many unnecessary laws in the United States today but are split over whether the U.S. system of justice as a whole is fair to most Americans. 

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