Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Global Image of Countries


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    Does Humanitarian Aid Improve America’s Image?

    U.S. humanitarian aid helped improve America’s image in Japan following the devastating March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. However, recent examples from Indonesia and Pakistan show that the impact of disaster relief on ratings for the U.S. has its limits.

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    Public Priorities: Deficit Rising, Terrorism Slipping

    Overview As the 2012 State of the Union approaches, the public continues to give the highest priority to economic issues. Fully 86% say that strengthening the economy should be a top priority for the president and Congress this year, and 82% rate improving the job situation as a top priority. None of the other 20 […]

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    Confidence in Democracy and Capitalism Wanes in Former Soviet Union

    Overview Two decades after the Soviet Union’s collapse, Russians, Ukrainians, and Lithuanians are unhappy with the direction of their countries and disillusioned with the state of their politics. Enthusiasm for democracy and capitalism has waned considerably over the past 20 years, and most believe the changes that have taken place since 1991 have had a […]

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    The American-Western European Values Gap

    American values differ from those of Western Europeans in many important ways. Most notably, Americans are more individualistic and are less supportive of a strong safety net than are the publics of Spain, Britain, France and Germany. However, Americans are coming closer to Europeans in not seeing their culture as superior to that of other nations.

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    From Hyperpower to Declining Power

    Since the Sept. 11 attacks, views about American power have changed, as economic issues have trumped security concerns. Today, many see the U.S. as a great power in decline.

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    Americans Want More Pressure on Students, the Chinese Want Less

    Americans are considerably more likely than other publics polled to say that parents do not put enough pressure on their children, while China is the only country in which a majority sees parents putting too much pressure on students. More than six-in-ten Americans say that parents do not put enough pressure on their children to do well in school, while about two-thirds of the Chinese public take the opposite position.

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    The World Says China Will Overtake America

    In the past decade, anti-Americanism grew around the world. In sharp contrast, today America is seen as on its way to losing its status as the dominant global superpower.

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    China Seen Overtaking U.S. as Global Superpower

    The United States continues to receive positive ratings in much of the world, but it faces the new challenge of doubts about its superpower status. Publics around the world increasingly believe that China either will replace or already has replaced the U.S. as the world’s leading superpower.