Revelations about the scope of American electronic surveillance efforts have generated headlines around the world. A new Pew Research Center survey finds widespread decline in the view that the U.S. respects the personal freedoms of its people. But in most countries there is little evidence this opposition has severely harmed Americaโs overall image.
About half of Americans (51%) say it is more important to build a stronger relationship with China on economic issues, while 41% say it is more important to get tougher with China.
As the Tiananmen protests unfolded in 1989, most Americans wanted to show support for the pro-democracy movement. But in the years since, economic ties and economic competition have become the dominant topics between the two nations, while at the same time the relationship has become more distrustful.
Support for al Qaeda, the terrorist organization that Osama bin Laden founded, was low among the Muslim publics surveyed in 2010, and remained low in 2013, two years after bin Ladenโs ignominious end.
Trade will likely be a topic of discussion when President Obama visits Japan on Wednesday. Most Americans see trade with Japan as a good thing and back a treaty on Pacific trade.
Europeans are consistently more liberal than Latin Americans, Asians, Africans, and Middle Easterners when it comes to judging what things are morally acceptable or not.