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Framing Motives and Objectives: Which Frames Increase US Public Support for Defending Taiwan?

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  • Chung‐li Wu
  • Alex Min‐Wei Lin

Abstract

Objective Recent opinion surveys show that a majority of Americans support providing military aid—but not US troops—to Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. However, what motivates American public support for committing US forces to the island's defense? Methods Through a randomized online survey experiment with 3054 US adults, this study investigates the basic motivations driving this support—that is, (a) the extent to which the US incentives for assisting Taiwan are driven by self‐interest or altruism and (b) the degree to which US foreign policy objectives for defending Taiwan are abstract or concrete. Results The results indicate a modest but significant increase in support for intervention when respondents were presented with frames that emphasized self‐interest and concrete objectives (e.g., tangible economic and technological benefits), whereas appeals to altruism produced weaker effects. Conclusion These findings show the detectable and robust effects of self‐interest frames, particularly given rising public war‐weariness and shifting US foreign policy priorities.

Suggested Citation

  • Chung‐li Wu & Alex Min‐Wei Lin, 2026. "Framing Motives and Objectives: Which Frames Increase US Public Support for Defending Taiwan?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 107(1), January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:107:y:2026:i:1:n:e70126
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.70126
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