The poll, commissioned by a new self-proclaimed bipartisan foreign-policy think tank, suggests that despite a deeply split and partisan Washington, a large number of citizens in both parties consider themselves "moderate" and their views of the U.S. role in the world -- and the Bush administration's management of it -- reflect the majority view. They are turning away from unilateralism and military solutions to U.S. problems abroad and toward alliances and cooperation.

Sixty-three percent believe the United States should "cooperate with other countries as often as we can, even if this means we have to compromise on occasion." Moderates answered that way 71 percent of the time, along with Democrats and liberals. Republicans embraced cooperation 55 percent of the time, with conservatives at 50 percent. A majority of all groups rejected a "go it alone" strategy.

The poll also suggests Americans are not, by and large, embracing a military response as the way to deal with a pugnacious Iran. Tehran is singled out by 27 percent as the greatest threat to U.S. national security -- the highest ranking of any country. However, 47 percent believe that a clash is not inevitable and if it comes it would only be in the future. Twenty-one percent believe Iran is an immediate threat, and 27 percent a definite future threat.

Many rate preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as a top foreign-policy priority. However, a slim majority -- 52 percent -- would oppose military action if diplomatic and economic pressure fails to convince Iran to shut down its uranium-enrichment program.

Seventy-five percent believe the war in Iraq has damaged American moral authority in the world, including 57 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of self-identified conservatives. Ninety-five percent consider the decline of U.S. moral authority a "serious" problem.

Similarly, 69 percent feel "things" are "on the wrong track," but in this case Republicans and Democrats are heavily split. Republicans themselves are evenly divided, with 42 percent saying it is heading in the right direction and 46 percent saying it is on the wrong track. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats say the country is on the wrong track. Almost as many self-identified moderates (versus liberal or conservative) agree -- 73 percent -- the country is heading in the wrong direction.

Overall, 61 percent disapprove of the way U.S. President George W. Bush is handling his job. Not surprisingly, Bush is a polarizer: 71 percent of Republicans approve of his job performance strongly or somewhat strongly and 91 percent of Democrats disapprove, 78 percent strongly. Moderates lean towards the Democrats in this case, with 68 percent disapproving.

The poll was commissioned by the American Security Project, a think tank organized by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., with retired Democratic Sen. Gary Hart, retired Sen. Warren Rudman, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and the former chief of U.S. Central Command, retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni.

While the board contains Republicans -- and Hart promised that more would be announcing their membership in the coming months -- their membership seems to be animated by their dissatisfaction with the Iraq war, the response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the "squandering" of the opportunities presented by the end of the Cold War nearly 20 years ago.

The poll is meant not as a policy tool, Kerry said, but rather to understand where the American electorate's attention is directed and what is its starting point. ASP officials -- many of them retired senior military officers -- are planning a 20-city tour to begin to engage Americans "outside the Beltway" on a discussion of the U.S. role in the world and the way ahead for the next administration, whichever party takes the White House.

Kerry, Zinni and the other members say they want to shepherd the nation back to a bipartisan foreign policy.

"I ... worry we over-politicize everything we do to the point we've become a sound bite society," said Zinni, an outspoken critic of the decision to invade Iraq. "At a time when the planet has shrunk so significantly, it's imperative we go back and re-establish that value on strategic thinking. ... The time has come to come together to think about the future, where we are in history ... and the path ahead."

The poll suggests Americans are interested in foreign policy and are ready to be engaged in a debate on it: 78 percent say they follow foreign affairs somewhat or very closely, a percentage that's relatively consistent across party lines and philosophies. Even more, 84 percent, follow national security and terrorism news.

The majority of 2,000 respondents -- all of whom are registered voters -- believe the United States should play an active role in world affairs but say Britain, Canada, Australia and Japan are playing a more positive role than the United States.

The respondents rank the top national-security priorities of the United States, in order: preventing the smuggling of a nuclear weapon into the United States; keeping such weapons out of the hands of groups and countries hostile to the United States; protecting the country from a ballistic missile attack; dismantling the al-Qaida terror network; promoting and developing alternative energy sources; containing Iran's export of terrorism and preventing it from getting a nuclear weapon, and ending U.S. dependence on Middle East oil.

Capturing Osama bin Laden is 20th on the list of priorities, after fighting poverty around the world and promoting human rights. Affecting global warming is 23rd on the list, and establishing a secure and stable government in Iraq is 26th. Helping to end the Arab-Israeli conflict is 30th.

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