Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Fewer than half of Mexicans say their government is making progress in its campaign against drug cartels. Still, an overwhelming majority continues to endorse the use of the Mexican army to fight drug traffickers, virtually unchanged in recent years.
Evangelical Protestant leaders who live in the Global South generally are optimistic about the prospects for evangelicalism in their countries: 71% expect that five years from now the state of evangelicalism in their countries will be better than it is today. But those who live in the Global North expect that the state of evangelicalism in their countries will either stay about the same (21%) or worsen (33%) over the next five years.
Brazilians are relatively upbeat about the state of their country, although they still see serious challenges, including illegal drugs, crime and political corruption. And Brazilians are confident about their country’s place in the world: most say Brazil already is or will eventually be one of the world’s leading powers.
As drug violence continues to plague their country, Mexicans largely endorse President Felipe Calderón’s campaign against drug cartels. Most also believe the Mexican military is making progress in the drug war, although they are less likely to hold this view now than was the case one year ago.
Mexicans are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the direction of their country and nearly six-in-ten say those who leave their country for the United States enjoy a better life there. One-in-three would move to the U.S. if they had the opportunity.
Venezuelan President’s Popularity Has Declined in Latin America
International Opinion Is Mixed On Castro’s Legacy
The 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in June to strike down school desegregation plans in Seattle and Louisville has focused public attention on the degree of racial and ethnic integration in the nation’s 93,845 public schools.
A 47-nation survey finds that as economic growth has surged in much of Latin America, East Europe and Asia over the past five years, people are expressing greater satisfaction with their personal lives, family incomes and national conditions. The picture is different in most advanced nations, where growth has been less robust and citizen satisfaction has changed little since 2002.