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Comprehensive analyses of US public opinion on international issues.
RSS Feed RSSInternational Public Opinion Says Government Should Not Limit Internet Access All Nations Polled Support Principle of Press Freedom, and Half Want More Freedom But Many Muslims and Russians Accept Press Restrictions to Preserve Political Stability Country-by-Country Summaries (PDF)
Most Think Price Will Go Much Higher Americans Think Their Government Is Acting as if Oil Will Not Run Out Full report (PDF)
Offshore oil platform located in the Gulf of Mexico (Photo: Chad Teer) Only 22 percent on average believe that "enough new oil will be found so that it can remain a [Read More...] Supporters of Free Market Look for Strong Government Regulation Full Report (PDF)
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange in a March 2001 photo (White House photo) The latest polling was completed before the current stock market volatility that began earlier this year. Back in 2005 only one country [Read More...] Sixty years after the universal declaration of human rights was adopted by the UN, attitudes, at least, have change dramatically By Peter Singer Published April 16, 2008 After a century that saw two world wars, the Holocaust, Stalin's gulag, the killing fields of Cambodia, and more recent atrocities in Rwanda and now Darfur, the belief that we are progressing morally has become difficult to defend. Yet there is more to the question than some extreme cases of moral breakdown. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the UN general assembly's adoption of the universal declaration of human rights. In response to the crimes committed during the second world war, the declaration sought to establish the principle that everyone is entitled to the same basic rights, irrespective of race, colour, sex, language, religion, or other status. So, perhaps we can judge moral progress by asking how well we have done in combating racism and [Read More...] Poll Finds Diminished Perception of US Threat, Full Report (PDF) Listen to NPR's Day to Day host Alex Chadwick interview Steven Kull on the findings of the poll
But Most Insist on Iran Producing Nuclear Fuel Full Report (PDF) Listen to NPR's Day to Day host Alex Chadwick interview Steven Kull on the findings of the poll
Satellite image of nuclear facility in Natanz, Iran collected on February 28, 2007. (Photo DigitalGlobe via Getty Images) A new survey by WorldPublicOpinion.org finds [Read More...]
While views of US influence in the world are still predominantly negative, they have improved in 11 of the 23 countries the BBC polled a year ago, while worsening in just three countries. The average percentage saying that the US is having a positive influence has increased from 31 per cent a year ago to 35 per cent today while the view that it is having a negative influence has declined from 52 per cent to 47 per cent. Looking just at the countries that have been polled in each of the last four [Read More...] Eight in Ten Say Public Should Have Greater Influence on Government
Vice President Dick Cheney in an ABC News interview aired March 19, 2008 Eighty-one percent say when making "an important decision" government leaders "should pay attention to public opinion polls because this will help them get a sense of the public's views." Only 18 percent said "they should not pay [Read More...] Most Countries See Progress in Racial Equality; Some Do Not Full report (PDF) Read an analysis of this poll by Peter Singer
Roma children in Kosovo [Read More...] Transatlantic Cooperation Seen as Inadequate on Issues from Poverty to Climate Change to Immigration British Council-Sponsored Research Finds Widespread Agreement on Priorities for Cooperation
Protesters led by Buddhist monks in the town of Xiahe, Tibet on March 14, 2008 (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images) Views are more varied among the Asian countries. An overwhelming 84 percent of South Koreans are critical, as is a modest majority of Indonesians (54%, with only 12% endorsing China's position). However among Indians views are nearly evenly divided, with 37 percent siding with critics, 33 percent siding with [Read More...]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks at Columbia University in New York on September 24, 2007 (Photo: Daniella Zalcman) Compared to results from a June 2006 BBC World Service Poll, support for economic sanctions or military strikes has declined significantly, including in countries that were previously among the highest supporters of tough action. Support for these measures has dropped 10 points in Australia (52 per cent to 42 per cent), nine points in Britain (43 per cent to 34 per cent), nine points in Germany (46 per cent to [Read More...] Widespread Support for Government and UN Action to Prevent Discrimination Full report (PDF) Read an analysis of this poll by Peter Singer
(Photo: Carmen [Read More...]
Russian President Vladimir Putin at his annual press conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on February 14, 2008 (Photo: kremlin.ru) Fifty-six percent of respondents from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, and USA (the G7 nations) believe he has been a negative influence on democracy and human rights in Russia, while 26 percent regard his role as positive in this area. Forty-seven percent of G7 citizens are also negative about Putin's influence "on peace and security in the world" with 38 percent [Read More...]
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in September 2006 (State Dept. photo/Michael Gross) |
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A new poll of nations around the world finds worldwide support for the principle of media 
A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds that majorities in 15 of 16 nations surveyed around the world think that oil is running out and governments should make a major effort to find new sources of energy. Most think that future oil prices will be much higher. 
Majorities in most countries continue to support the free market system, but over the last two years support has eroded in 10 of 18 countries regularly polled by GlobeScan. In several countries this drop in support has been quite sharp.
A new WorldPublicOpinion.org polls finds that although Iranians continue to view the United States negatively, they strongly support steps to improve US-Iran relations including direct talks on issues of mutual concern, greater access for each others' journalists, increased trade and more cultural, educational 
A majority of Iranians do not believe their country should produce nuclear weapons, but most still think it is "very important" for Iran to develop nuclear fuel. 
After years of becoming progressively more negative, public views of the United States have begun to improve, according to a BBC World Service Poll across 34 countries. 
In sharp contrast to views recently expressed by Vice President Cheney, a new poll finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe government leaders should pay attention to public opinion polls and that the public should generally have more influence over government leaders than it does. 
Very large majorities around the world say people of different races and ethnicities should be treated equally. In nearly all countries surveyed, large majorities agree that governments should take action to prevent racial discrimination, and in most of them majorities think they need to do more. 
A poll of seven European countries, Canada, and the United States finds widespread support for closer relations between Europe and the United States. However, currently, cooperation between Europe and North America is seen as largely ineffective and overall transatlantic feelings are fairly cool, especially on the side of the Europeans. Yet Americans, Canadians and Europeans hold surprising consensus on the issues of greatest importance for their countries to address 
A poll of three western and three Asian countries finds widespread criticism of Chinese policies toward Tibet. This critical view is held by large majorities in all three western countries--the United States (74%), France (75%) and Britain (63%). 
Support for tough measures against Iran's nuclear program has fallen in 13 out of 21 countries according to a new BBC World Service Poll.
According to a new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 16 nations from around the world there is a widespread consensus that it is important for "women to have full equality of rights" and most say it is very important. This is true in Muslim countries as well as Western countries. 
A majority of G7 citizens regard President Putin as a "negative influence on democracy and human rights in Russia," according to a BBC World Service poll.
A majority of Pakistanis (64%) say that stability and security in Pakistan would get better "if President Musharraf were to resign now," according to a new poll conducted by GlobeScan for BBC Urdu. One in four (25%) respondents believes that security would get "worse" if he were to resign.