Report

Most think social media has made it easier to manipulate and divide people, but they also say it informs and raises awareness.

Most in advanced economies say voting, taking steps to reduce climate change and getting a COVID-19 vaccine are ways to be a good member of society; fewer say this about attending religious services.

As daunting challenges from Russia, China and a flagging global economy ripple across the world, Americans and Germans continue to say that relations between their countries are good. Most Americans and Germans continue to see each other as partners on protecting European security, and publics in each country are willing to support using military action to protect themselves and their allies.

A median of 68% across 19 countries think their country has done a good job dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, with majorities saying this in every country surveyed except Japan. However, most also believe the pandemic has created greater divisions in their societies and exposed weaknesses in their political systems – and these view are especially common in the U.S.

As President Joe Biden embarks on his first visit to Israel as president, he does so against an amicable backdrop: A majority of adults in both Israel and the United States have favorable views of the other country and the current state of bilateral relations, though Americans’ views on Israel differ sharply by party and age.

Large majorities in most of the 19 countries surveyed have negative views of China, but relatively few say bilateral relations are bad.

Most say U.S. is reliable partner, and ratings for Biden are mostly positive – although down significantly from last year.

Older Americans, those with more education and men tend to score better on our 12-question quiz about international knowledge. Republicans and Democrats have roughly the same levels of international knowledge, while conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats tend to score better than their more moderate counterparts.

Americans see China as a growing superpower – and increasingly say it is the world’s leading economy.

Attitudes toward NATO have grown more positive: 67% express a favorable opinion of the organization, up from 61% in 2021.

We asked respondents in both countries to, in their own words, define what democracy means to them. Most commonly, people mention three broad concepts: freedom and human rights, elections and procedures, and having a voice in government.

Germans and Americans have both become more skeptical of China.

The U.S. is seen positively in advanced economies for its technology, entertainment, military and universities, but negatively for its health care system, discrimination and the state of its democracy.

Dissatisfaction with the functioning of democracy is linked to concerns about the economy, the pandemic and social divisions.

Wide majorities in most of the 17 advanced economies surveyed say having people of many different backgrounds improves their society, but most also see conflicts between partisan, racial and ethnic groups.

Germany’s pandemic response and its role in the EU are also rated positively.

Citizens offer mixed reviews of how their societies have responded to climate change, and many question the efficacy of international efforts to stave off a global environmental crisis.

Despite an uptick in positive views of the economy in some places, many say that children will be worse off financially than their parents.

Unfavorable views of China also hover near historic highs in most of the 17 advanced economies surveyed.

Publics disagree about whether restrictions on public activity, such as stay-at-home orders or mandates to wear masks in public, have gone far enough to combat COVID-19.

A new survey of 16 publics finds a significant uptick in ratings for the U.S., with strong support for Joe Biden and several of his major policy initiatives. But many raise concerns about the health of America’s political system.

Large ideological divides persist on views of tradition, national pride and discrimination, especially in the U.S.

Most would welcome government-sponsored job training and other interventions.

In the U.S., concerns about political corruption are especially widespread. Two-in-three Americans agree that the phrase “most politicians are corrupt” describes their country well.

The global middle class consisted of 54 million fewer people in 2020 than the number projected prior to the onset of the pandemic.

The novel coronavirus continues to pose weighty challenges for people around the world.

Most in all three countries are optimistic that U.S. policies and trans-Atlantic relations will improve under his presidency.

In preelection tweets about the U.S., lawmakers abroad focused on how the election will affect bilateral ties and trade.

As the U.S. and Germany prepare to gain new leadership, their relationship remains unbalanced in the minds of their citizenries. Americans see Germany as a partner on many foreign policy issues, but Germans mostly do not.