Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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More than seven-in-ten Indians have confidence in Barack Obama and about two-thirds express a favorable opinion of the U.S. Indians are also upbeat about their country’s economic situation and its role in world affairs. Still, most say India faces major challenges, including crime and corruption. And there are widespread concerns about Pakistan and extremist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Nearly two years after the Mumbai terror attacks, security concerns dominate Indian views of Pakistan. Fully seven-in-ten see their neighbor as a very serious threat to their country. Nearly six-in-ten believe that Pakistan is actively supporting extremist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, an organization that a plurality considers the greatest threat to their country. And a […]
The United States enjoys a largely positive image among Indians: solid majorities have a favorable view of the U.S., express confidence in U.S. President Barack Obama, and believe the U.S. takes India’s interests into account when making foreign policy. Moreover, Indians assign higher ratings to the U.S. than to other leading powers. About half (51%) […]
In the depths of the 1981-1982 recession, Americans were far more displeased with their president and his policies than were their predecessors during the Great Depression, more so even than in today’s high-unemployment economy.
The arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the death of Elizabeth Edwards both received substantial coverage, but it was the reaction to a compromise on the expiring Bush-era tax cuts that really galvanized the press last week.
Extremist groups Hamas and Hezbollah continue to receive mixed ratings from Muslim publics. However, opinions of al Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, are consistently negative; only in Nigeria do Muslims offer views that are, on balance, positive toward al Qaeda and bin Laden.
The agreement on tax cuts between President Obama and GOP leaders led to a complex online conversation which revealed deep tensions within one party. The WikiLeaks controversy, a hot topic for the second week in a row, drew a more unified response. And on YouTube, a tragic stunt on live German television drew worldwide attention.
Three stories topped the news last week—the economy, the aftermath of the 2010 midterms and the president’s trip to Asia—and all three involved narratives that were not positive for President Obama. The week’s other top stories included a cruise gone awry and a former president resurfacing on the media circuit to pitch his new book.