Young Americans Support NATO but Unsure It Makes United States Safer

Majorities of young Americans agree the alliance is essential to US security but at lower levels than older generations.

Chicago Council on Global Affairs research has shown that younger generations of Americans are more likely than those from the Baby Boomer or Silent Generation to question the importance of an active US role in the world. They also prefer a foreign policy that is less reliant on military approaches. At the same time, however, these young Americans prioritize international cooperation and, and as a May 31-June 2, 2024 survey reports, they see value specifically in the NATO alliance. 

Key Findings

• Similar to members from older generations, majorities of young Americans agree that NATO is essential to US security, but they do so at lower levels.
• At least six in 10 from the Millennial and Gen Z generations sense that NATO is beneficial to both the United States and NATO allies or just the United States alone.
• Three-quarters or more across generations favor maintaining or increasing the US commitment to NATO. 
• Like other Americans, Millennials (60%) and Gen Z (65%) Americans say the United States should use diplomacy to persuade NATO allies to spend more on defense.
• While still at majority levels, younger generations are less likely than their elders to support using US troops to defend NATO allies like Germany or one of the Baltic states if they were invaded by Russia. 
• Fewer than half of Millennials and Gen Z say that NATO cooperation makes the United States safer versus slight majorities among older generations.

Majorities across Generations Think NATO Is Essential

In the decades since the Cold War, some commentators have questioned whether NATO is still relevant on the world stage. For their part, the American public is convinced that it is. Two in three Americans say that NATO remains essential to US security—a view that transcends partisan and generational divides.  While Silent Generation Americans are the most inclined to express this view, six in 10 or more across all generations agree.

Majorities of Young Americans See Benefits from US Alliance with Europe

While former President Donald Trump has questioned the US return on investment in the US alliance system, Americans mostly see benefits to allies as well as to the United States. In the Chicago Council 2023 survey, two-thirds of the overall American public (64%) said US security alliances in Europe either mostly benefit both the United States and European allies or mostly benefit the United States (80% Democrats, 63% Independents, 50% Republicans). Members of the Silent Generation were the most enthusiastic (71%), with roughly two-thirds of younger age groups agreeing.

Focus groups of young Americans ages 18–29 conducted March 13–19, 2024, were asked what they thought were the positive elements of the US role in world affairs. Several offered responses like “strengthening alliances and relationships with other countries” and “alliances are useful for trade and diplomatic resolutions to conflict.” One participant noted that “the US has strong partnerships with countries that can help and support us via trade and military alliance, so even though we are spending a lot of resources in other countries' affairs, we still receive the benefit of such partnerships.”

Alliances are not a one-way street, according to this participant: “We build alliances. Helping others could potentially help us in the future.” And one young participant saw alliances as a way to keep the United States from making miscalculations, saying “Let NATO and the UN handle certain issues because the wrong action can start a war between us and the other countries.”

Solid Majorities Support Continued US Commitment to NATO

Council polling from 2023 showed that an even larger majority of Americans across the political spectrum say the United States should maintain or increase its commitment to NATO (92% of Democrats, 68% of Republicans, and 73% of Independents.) Young Americans agreed, with three-quarters or more across generations favoring maintaining or increasing the US commitment to NATO. As on other questions, Americans from the Silent Generation were most enthusiastic. 

One of the reasons Americans appreciate NATO is because they prefer a shared leadership role (66%), for the United States rather than a dominant one (22%, 12% no leadership role). Seven in 10 Generation Z (70%) and Silent Generation (71%) Americans and roughly two-thirds of other generations prefer a shared leadership role for the United States (64% Boomer, 65% Gen X, 66% Millennial). As one young adult focus group participant commented, “I don't think that we need to be leading in other countries’ problems. We need to be working with other allies to help solve foreign issues instead of trying to lead for them.”

Best Way to Encourage Allies to Spend More on Defense?

In the June 27 presidential debate, former President Trump claimed that he had forced European countries to boost their defense spending, although allied defense expenditures had grown more under current President Joe Biden. In fact, 23 alliance members are currently expected to meet their spending target of 2 percent of GDP in 2024.

During Trump’s presidential tenure, he had threatened to withhold US security guarantees if key allies didn’t pay their fair share. But Americans are not in sync with that approach. The overall US public supports using persuasion and diplomacy to encourage NATO allies to increase defense spending in their countries (62%) rather than withholding the US security commitment to NATO allies (34%). And whether a member of the Generation Z or the Silent Generation, at least six in 10 Americans endorse the persuasion and diplomacy approach.

Millennials Least Likely to Support Coming to NATO Allies’ Defense

Perhaps the most stringent indication of American support for NATO is the public’s willingness to send US troops to defend a fellow NATO country. The 2023 Chicago Council Survey found that 57 percent of the overall American public would support sending US troops to defend one of the Baltic NATO allies if Russia invaded, and 64 percent would do the same if Russia invaded Germany. The Silent and Boomer Generations were most likely to favor the US coming to the defense of Germany, but majorities of members from Generation X and Generation Z also supported coming to their defense. Millennials were less likely than other generational cohorts to support using US troops for these purposes, with bare majorities in favor.

Young Americans Not Sure NATO Cooperation Adds to US Safety

While attitudes toward the transatlantic alliance are largely positive across generations, the 2024 Council-Ipsos survey finds Americans are more uncertain about whether the cooperation between North American and European members makes the United States safer. Overall a slim majority (52%) say NATO makes the country more safe, but a full third say it makes no difference (35% and 11% say less safe). 

Silent Generation, Boomers and Generation X are more inclined to say NATO cooperation makes the United States safer, while younger Americans are most closely divided on this question. Fewer than half of Millennials (46%) and Generation Z (47%) say NATO makes the country safer, and four in 10 say it makes no difference to US security (39% Millennial, 41% Generation Z).  But they are no likely than average to say it makes the United States less safe. 

Conclusion

The Trump presidency introduced a new sense of unpredictability and a transactional approach to transatlantic relations. The prospect of another four years of the same type of administration now raises concerns among allies about US credibility when it comes to upholding commitments abroad. These survey results indicate that younger Americans feel positive toward NATO, but they may not fully understand the deterrent aspect of the alliance that helps shield the United States from external adversaries. Ahead of the 2024 election, this is one area of messaging that NATO and US security officials can emphasize when speaking to younger audiences to firm up alliance support.