The Means and Ends of Foreign Policy as Determinants of Presidential Support

Abstract

Previous research has not found foreign policy attitudes to be an important determinant of political evaluations (such as voting or presidential evaluation). Such findings, though, may have underestimated the importance of foreign policy because they are based on aggregate data and because they measure such attitudes at a level which is much too specific. We argue that citizens base presidential evaluations on foreign policy in two ways: first, by focusing on international outcomes as retrospective judges; and second, by evaluating the general foreign policy postures of the administration. Based on a sample of Twin Cities adults, it is found that foreign policy has a substantial impact on evaluations of President Reagan.