Americans and Germans take opposing views on whether their country should defend NATO allies against Russia

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March 6, 2020

Americans and Germans Differ in Their Views of Each Other and the World

Americans and Germans take opposing views on whether their country should defend NATO allies against Russia

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Americans and Germans take opposing views on whether their country should defend NATO allies against Russia

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Americans and Germans Differ in Their Views of Each Other and the World
Americans and Germans diverge sharply in their views of bilateral relations
In both nations, young people have the most positive view of U.S.-Germany relationship
Americans far more likely than Germans to say military force is sometimes necessary
Fewer Americans see a need for European allies to increase national defense spending, but Germans are divided between increasing or maintaining budgets
Republican support for increased defense spending from Europe has waned since 2017
Supporters of CDU/CSU more likely to favor increased defense spending
Americans and Germans differ over importance of U.S. military bases in Germany to national security
Older Germans more likely to see U.S. military bases in their country as important
Germans more likely to see the U.S. as an important partner than Americans are to see Germany as one
Democrats and Republicans are about as likely to name Germany as a top foreign policy partner, but Republicans are keener on Israel
Americans want more cooperation with European allies, but Germans less likely to say the same about the U.S.
Supporters of different parties take alternate stances on U.S.-German cooperation
Germans prioritize the U.S. relationship over China, but more divided on Russia
Younger Americans see relationship with China as more important than Germany
Germans in the former East prioritize relations with Russia over U.S.
Half of Americans see their country as the top economic power; Germans more likely to name China
Americans and Germans differ in their views of Russia and the EU, but have more similar views of the UN and NATO
Unweighted sample size and the error attributable to sampling
Ideological differences in views of the UN, EU and Russia

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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