Social Media Seen as Mostly Good for Democracy Across Many Nations, But U.S. is a Major Outlier
Most think social media has made it easier to manipulate and divide people, but they also say it informs and raises awareness.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Most think social media has made it easier to manipulate and divide people, but they also say it informs and raises awareness.
Across 24 countries, large shares have an unfavorable view of Russia and no confidence in Putin to do the right thing regarding world affairs.
Dissatisfaction with the functioning of democracy is linked to concerns about the economy, the pandemic and social divisions.
Despite the many depressing stories dominating the international news cycle, there is also a note of positivity among survey respondents in views of the UN, the benefits of international cooperation for solving problems and the importance of common values for bringing nations together.
Germans and Americans have both become more skeptical of China.
Americans see China as a growing superpower – and increasingly say it is the world’s leading economy.
Large majorities in most of the 19 countries surveyed have negative views of China, but relatively few say bilateral relations are bad.
Majorities say the democratic principles tested on our survey are at least somewhat important. But often, underwhelming percentages describe democratic rights and institutions as very important.
President Trump and his policies continue to receive negative reviews from people worldwide, with a lack of confidence in his leadership especially common in Western Europe. While views of the U.S. are positive overall, they vary widely among some of its key allies.
More countries still name the U.S. as the foremost economic power than say the same of China. And, even in nations that welcome China’s economic growth, few feel similarly about its growing military might.
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