Richard Wike is director of global attitudes research at Pew Research Center. He conducts research and writes about international public opinion on a variety of topics, such as America’s global image, the rise of China, democracy, and globalization. He is an author of numerous Pew Research Center reports and has written pieces for The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, the Guardian, Politico, Foreign Policy, CNN, BBC, CNBC, and other online and print publications. Wike has been interviewed by American news organizations such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC, CNN, C-SPAN, and NPR, as well as numerous non-U.S. news organizations, including The Financial Times, The Guardian, El País, BBC, Deutsche Welle, France 24 and Al Jazeera. Wike gives talks and presentations to a variety of audiences, including government, think tanks, business groups, and academic conferences. Wike received a doctorate in political science from Emory University. Before joining Pew Research Center, he was a senior associate for international and corporate clients at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.
In the U.S., concerns about political corruption are especially widespread. Two-in-three Americans agree that the phrase “most politicians are corrupt” describes their country well.
Majorities in all three countries said in a fall 2020 survey that the U.S. system needs either major changes or to be completely reformed.
Most in all three countries are optimistic that U.S. policies and trans-Atlantic relations will improve under his presidency.
In international surveys, Donald Trump has generally received lower ratings than either of his two predecessors.
The U.S. is not the only country wrestling with political fissures. But the pandemic has revealed how pervasive the divide in U.S. politics is.
In several countries, favorable views of the U.S. are at their lowest point since the Center began polling on this topic two decades ago.
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.
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.
Across 27 countries, more people are unhappy with the state of democracy in their countries than satisfied. Discontent with democracy is tied to concerns about the economy, individual rights and out-of-touch elites.
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