COLLEGE PARK - A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds that around the world US foreign policy continues to receive heavy criticism on a variety of fronts, even though in 13 of 19 nations most people say they have confidence in President Obama to do the right thing in international affairs.
The US is criticized for coercing other nations with its superior power (15 of 19 nations), failing to abide by international law (17 of 19 nations), and for how it is dealing with climate change (11 of 18 nations).
Overall, views are mixed on whether the US is playing a mainly positive or mainly negative role in the world.
Asked whether they have confidence in Barack Obama to “do the right thing regarding world affairs,” for all countries (excluding the US) an average of 61 percent say they have some or a lot of confidence.
But asked how the US treats their government, few-on average just one in four-say it “treats us fairly,” while two-thirds say that it “abuses its greater power to make us do what the US wants.” Overall, these views are no better than they were in 2008. Only three countries diverged from this view (Kenya, Nigeria, and Germany).
In all nations polled, majorities say that the US “use(s) the threat of military force to gain advantages.” Majorities range from 61 percent in India and Poland to 92 percent in South Korea and include America’s close ally Great Britain (83 percent). On average, across all nations polled, 77 percent perceive the US as threatening. Even 71 percent of Americans agree.
Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org comments, “Most people around the world seem to have a positive view of the young new captain at the helm of the American ship of state, though many people see this huge ship as still carrying forward domineering policies.”
WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 19,914 respondents in 20 nations that comprise 62 percent of the world’s population. This includes most of the largest nations-China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Russia-as well as Mexico, Germany, Great Britain, France, Poland, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kenya, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and South Korea. Polling was also conducted in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative project involving research centers from around the world, is managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. The margins of error range from 3 to 4 percent. Not all questions were asked in all nations.
The survey was conducted between April 4 and June 12, 2009, prior to Obama’s speech in Cairo but subsequent to his Ankara speech.
Funding for this research was provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Calvert Foundation. (ANI)
Related News
Israeli FM for radical refocus of Israeli foreign policyOctober 7th, 2009 JERUSALEM - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's office has reportedly drawn up a secret memo calling for a radical refocus of foreign policy toward the developing world, The Jerusalem Post has learned. According to sources, Lieberman plans to bring the five-page preliminary policy paper to the ministry's senior professional staff in the coming days, to begin discussion on implementing what is being described as "guidelines for a whole new foreign policy."
According to a copy of the memo obtained by the Jerusalem Post, the new policy involves moving away from a "lone dependence" on the United States as a strategic ally, to developing broader and closer ties with other world powers and with the developing world.
Pak ministers unhappy over government's austere measuresSeptember 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani ministers have criticised the government's decision to restrict their foreign tours in the name of austerity, terming the new policy "ambiguous, self-contradictory and stringent," demanding flexibility and clarity in it. The Cabinet Division had announced the bar on foreign travel in view of financial constraints and to observe austerity in line with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's directions.
Terrorism a by-product of Pak's past mistakes: ZardariSeptember 19th, 2009 LONDON - President Asif Ali Zardari has revealed that extremism was a by-product of Pakistan's past mistakes and was deliberately created during the 1980s. He said the employment of a liberal policy encouraged religious fanaticism and achieved of certain strategic objectives of terror perpetrators.
Pak not to follow tit-for-tat policy if India conducts nuclear tests: QureshiSeptember 10th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that they will not follow a tit-for-tat policy if India tests a nuclear device. "We will not follow a tit-for-tat policy, but we are fully capable of protecting our national interests," Qureshi said.
New foreign trade policy to be announced Aug 27August 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The foreign trade policy for the next five years will be announced Aug 27, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said here Tuesday. "We will soon be coming out with our foreign trade policy for the next five years and have had discussions with all the stakeholders," Sharma said while delivering the valedictory address of a national workshop on 'Achieving Exponential Growth in Agro Exports' organised by the Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority here.
India warms up to Obama as America's global image risesJuly 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is popular around the world, improving the US's global image, with particularly warming attitudes toward America among urban populations in India, Brazil, and China, according to a new poll
A Pew Research Poll released Thursday shows that the image of the United States has "improved markedly in most parts of the world," largely because of the high levels of global confidence and trust in Obama. Improvements were especially high in Western Europe, but attitudes toward America also warmed in Canada, Mexico and Argentina.
Connect science, policy for progress on climate change: PachauriJuly 20th, 2009 NEW YORK - The chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Monday said there remained a "glaring gap" between the policy and science on climate change. "We need to connect science and policy," Rajendra Pachauri said at a news conference organised by the United Nations Environment Programme.
EU foreign policy chief to visit PakistanJuly 19th, 2009 BRUSSELS - European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana will visit Pakistan Monday for talks with the country's leadership, the EuAsiaNews reported Sunday. He will make a two-day stop in the country on his way to attend the Association of South-East Asian Nations' (ASEAN) regional forum meetings Wednesday and Thursday in Phuket in Thailand, EU officials said here.
Hillary Clinton to reassert herself with high-profile speechJuly 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Aides of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have said that she is ready to articulate her own policy agenda, one that focuses in part on strengthening Americans' capacity for what has been called "smart power."
According to Politico, her he speech to the Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday is expected to serve as an explanation and framework of the administration's foreign policy and a tour of its busy first half-year. But it will sound some themes closely associated with Clinton's former life as first lady and U.S.
US seeks to expand India's global role during Clinton visitJuly 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - With India playing a "vastly more significant role" in global issues, the US looks at Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's India visit as "a tremendous opportunity" to deepen bilateral ties and expand New Delhi's role. As Clinton herself noted a couple of days ago, "relations between the world's largest democracy and the world's oldest democracy have improved significantly over the last 20 years," State Department spokesman Philip J.
US job visa policy could affect Indian investment: StudyJune 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indian corporates could slow down investment in the US if the strict American policy on issuing temporary visas is not relaxed, says a study by a leading industry lobby and a global consultancy. "The tight-fisted US policy on the grant of H-1B visas to Indian employers may dampen the appetite of Indian corporates for investing in the US," said Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and consultancy Ernst and Young in a statement Thursday.
Miliband wants UK Government interrogation policy kept secretJune 17th, 2009 LONDON - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has told Members of Parliament that he will not allow the public access to the government's secret interrogation policy. Acknowledging that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ordered that the policy be rewritten after receiving a series of complaints, Miliband, however told MPs on the Commons foreign affairs select committee that he has no intention of making public the policy as it currently stands.
Republicans decry Obama's 'tour of apology', Mideast standJune 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Obama's speech to the Muslim world may have received enthusiastic reaction abroad, but his remarks over Israeli-Palestinian issue came in for sharp criticism from his Republican and conservative opponents at home
Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner blasted Obama's approach endorsing a two-state solution and urging compromise between "two peoples with legitimate aspirations."
"He seemed to ... place equal blame on the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Israel warns European Union to tone down its criticism of new Israeli governmentApril 30th, 2009 Israel warns EU to tone down its criticismJERUSALEM — Israel warned the European Union on Thursday to tone down its criticism of the new Israeli government or risk forfeiting the bloc's role as broker in Mideast peace efforts. The warning came after EU's commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, this week criticized Israel's refusal to endorse a Palestinian state.
NWFP Governor briefs foreign diplomats on Swat dealApril 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - NWFP Governor Owais Ghani has briefed foreign diplomats at the Foreign Office on the deal with militants in Swat. "The problem [afflicting the region] lies in Afghanistan and unless you settle the issue there, it will be difficult to create peace in Swat and other border regions of Pakistan," Ghani said.
Loading ...