People in 17 of 21 Nations Say Governments Should Put International Law Ahead of National Interest

A poll by WorldPublicOpinion.org finds that most people in 17 of 21nations surveyed say their government should abide by international law and reject the view that governments are not obliged to follow such laws when they conflict with the national interest.

Most respondents in two out of three nations polled are also confident that the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, would treat their country fairly and impartially, the WPO poll shows.

(Photo: Jeroen Bouman/International Court of Justice)

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Key Health Care Proposals Get Bipartisan Public Support Despite Debate's Increased Political Polarization

A new poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org (WPO) together with the Brookings Institution finds that over the last year, as the health care debate has intensified, a bipartisan consensus that the government is responsible for ensuring access to health care has fractured. Nonetheless, a majority of the public still says the government is responsible, and there is bipartisan support for numerous key reform proposals, including a limited public option, new constraints on the health insurance industry, tort reform, and cross-state purchasing.

In 2008, asked whether the US government "should be responsible for ensuring that its citizens can meet their basic need for health care," 77% said that it should be, including clear majorities of all parties. However, the new WPO/Brookings poll finds that Republican support for the proposition has dropped from 55% support to 29%, while a 67% majority now rejects this view. Overall, support has dropped 17 points, but 60% still say that government is responsible.

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