The Structure of Attitudes Toward America's World Role

Abstract

The analysis presented in this article concerns how citizens organize their
beliefs about America's role in the world affairs. An intensive
analysis using Q methodology is offered as an alternative means for
uncovering the structure of foreign policy attitudes. The analysis
revealed four distinct viewpoints. In discussing the viewpoints we offer
a critique of the methodological presuppositions underlying earlier
empirical research and the implications of those presuppositions for our
theoretical understanding of the subject.