Who likes authoritarianism, and how do they want to change their government?
The share of the public that supports authoritarian systems ranges from 85% in India to 8% in Sweden.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The share of the public that supports authoritarian systems ranges from 85% in India to 8% in Sweden.
Family is preeminent for most publics but work, material well-being and health also play a key role.
Though younger people tend to be more internationally oriented than older adults, they differ from one another over how they want their country to engage with the world.
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.
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.
Unfavorable views of China also hover near historic highs in most of the 17 advanced economies surveyed.
Republicans are more negative than Democrats toward China, though unfavorable ratings have climbed among both parties.
Thirty years ago, a wave of optimism swept across Europe as walls and regimes fell, and long-oppressed publics embraced open societies, open markets and a more united Europe. Three decades later, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that few people in the former Eastern Bloc regret the monumental changes of 1989-1991.
Surveys of foreign policy experts and the general public reveal a division between these two groups over the role of the people’s voice in governing, as well as on the consequences of Trump’s presidency.
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