Just 32 percent believe UN doing good job attempting to solve global issues: Gallup

About one in three U.S. adults say the United Nations is doing a good job in trying to solve world issues, according to a new Gallup poll.

The August survey, released on Sunday, shows 32 percent of Americans say the UN is doing a good job, while 63 percent say the international body is doing a poor job.

In an open-ended follow-up question, respondents’ chief complaints about the UN include “that it does not take enough action, should be doing more to end wars or conflicts, is ineffective, and has no real power,” according to Gallup.

The survey was released a day before the United Nations General Assembly kicked off in New  York City, where leaders from around the world will gather to address global issues.

President Trump, who has slashed America's foreign spending since returning to office, is set to speak on Tuesday.

The latest survey shows a drop in UN job approval from 33 percent last year, 39 percent in 2023, 37 percent in 2022, and 45 percent in 2021.

Gallup first asked respondents about the UN in 1953, when 55 percent approved of the UN’s work trying to solve the world's problems. Since then, approval has only surpassed the 50-percent threshold a few times: 1990, 1993, 2000, 2001 and 2002.

The lowest approval ever recorded was 26 percent in 2009, when the U.S. was still involved in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and plunged into a global economic recession.

There’s a clear divide among political parties in the way Americans view the United Nations’ job performance.

Democrats are split, with 46 percent saying the UN is doing a good job and 48 percent saying it’s doing a poor job. The vast majority of Republicans, meanwhile, disapprove of the UN, with 75 percent saying the international body is doing a bad job and 21 percent saying it’s doing a good job.

Independents are more aligned with Republicans, with 65 percent saying the UN is doing a poor job and 30 percent saying it’s doing a good job.  

Despite frustration with the UN’s job performance, Americans still largely say the UN plays a necessary role in the world today.

In the new poll, 60 percent say the UN is necessary, down from 66 percent recorded in both 2019 and 2013. Support was similar, at 64 percent, in 2005, marking a significant drop from the 85 percent recorded in 1997.

Seventy percent of Democrats, 61 percent of independents and 40 percent of Republicans say the UN plays a necessary role in the world today.

The survey was conducted on Aug. 1-20 and included 1,094 adults. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.