In the fifth year of the Obama presidency, the United Statesโ image remains strong around the world compared with the last years of the administration of President George W. Bush. Still, pro-America sentiment is slipping.
As President Obama prepares to make a “major” speech on the economy today, our past reports describe the challenges the middle class has faced in the past decades.
Public views of Barack Obama today are very different from those of George W. Bush at about this point in his second term. Obamaโs job rating is in positive territory, while Bushโs tilted negative. But a look at the one-word descriptions of the two men finds some common ground. Most notably, the word incompetent appears high on the one-word list for each.
Americaโs struggles with race and racism are never completely out of the news. But it is hard to remember when a series of stories have given this issue such resonance, whether in the rulings of the Supreme Court on affirmative action and voting rights, a tense trial in a Florida courtroom and even the racially insensitive comments of a celebrity chef.
The Obama administration is stepping up its game in dealing with climate change. Such moves echo widespread public concern about global warming outside the United States.