Moira Fagan is a research associate at Pew Research Center, specializing in international survey research. She writes about international public opinion on a variety of topics, including perceptions of international organizations and views of global threats. She is involved in every stage of the research process: designing questionnaires, ensuring quality control during data collection and analyzing survey results.
Fagan has a M.A. in international affairs from American University and a B.A. from the University of Puget Sound.
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.
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.
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.
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.
