A New Digest of International and U.S. Attitudes

November 23, 2009

The International Institutions and Global Governance program at the Council on Foreign Relations has produced Public Opinion on Global Issues, a comprehensive digest of existing polling data on U.S. and global public attitudes on the world's most pressing challenges -- and the institutions designed to address them. Developed in partnership with the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, the digest consolidates global and U.S. public opinion across ten major issue areas: elements of world order, international institutions, violent conflict, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, climate change, energy security, the global economy, economic development, and human rights.

Many of the results in the digest are surprising, and they challenge long-held stereotypes about attitudes toward world order and international cooperation, both in the United States and abroad. This digest represents a compilation, analysis, and synthesis of existing polling data, rather than new survey research. Its value added lies in its comprehensive coverage of major issue areas, as well as its juxtaposition of global and U.S. attitudes toward each area. Getting a clearer picture of what citizens in the United States and abroad want is important for policymakers, because public attitudes will shape prospects for effective multilateral cooperation in the twenty-first century. Read an overview of the project.

Read the full report (PDF 12MB)

VIEW BY TOPIC:

World Order
United States or World

International Institutions
United States or World

Violent Conflict
United States or World

Terrorism
United States or World

Nuclear Proliferation
United States or World

The Environment
United States or World

Energy Security
United States or World

The Global Economy
United States or World

Economic Development
United States or World

Human Rights
United States or World