Pew: Global Confidence in Obama Plunges

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Confidence in President Barack Obama in nations around the world has dropped significantly since he took office in 2009, the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project reveals.
In China, confidence in Obama has dropped from 62 percent of those surveyed in 2009 to 38 percent today, a change of 24 percentage points.
Confidence in Obama has dipped 13 percentage points in Mexico, 11 points in Japan, 9 points in Muslim countries, and 6 points in Europe.
A majority of respondents still say they have confidence in Obama in every European nation polled with the exception of Greece, where just 30 percent have confidence. Confidence is highest in Germany (87 percent) and France (86 percent).
But a majority in six Muslim nations, including 69 percent in Egypt, have no confidence in the American president.
Pew has also found a sharp decline in worldwide approval of Obama’s international policies, according to the survey of more than 26,000 people in 21 countries. Approval has dropped in China (down 30 percentage points), Japan (19 points), Muslim countries (19 points), Russia (18), Mexico (17), and Europe (15).
Interestingly, 40 percent of Americans disapprove of Obama’s handling of global economic problems, a higher percentage than in France (35 percent), Spain (34), Germany (28), Poland (27), Czech Republic (25), Britain (23), and Italy (18).
And while Europeans’ confidence in Obama has dropped, the overwhelming majority in most countries believe he should be re-elected, ranging from a high of 92 percent in France to 67 percent in Czech Republic. But just 7 percent feel that way in Pakistan, 18 percent in Egypt, 22 percent in Jordan, 31 percent in China, and 38 percent in India.
The Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project conducts public opinion surveys around the world on a broad array of subjects ranging from people’s assessments of their own lives to their views about the current state of the world and important issues of the day.
Among other findings:

• The United States is the only nation in the survey that approves of drone strikes on terrorist targets — 62 percent approve and 28 percent disapprove. Disapproval is as high as 90 percent in Greece and 89 percent in Egypt, and is at 63 percent in France and 59 percent in Germany.
• In 2009, 56 percent of those polled believed Obama would take steps on climate change. Today just 22 percent think he has done so.
• As recently as 2009, 46 percent of respondents believed the United States is the world’s leading economic power, with 27 percent choosing China. Today China is favored by 42 percent and the United States by 36 percent.
• A majority of respondents in seven of eight European nations polled — the exception is Greece — and those in Brazil, Japan, Russia, and Lebanon say they have a favorable view of the American people. The highest unfavorable ratings are in Pakistan (73 percent), Turkey (69), and Jordan (67), while 40 percent of Mexicans have an unfavorable view of their northern neighbors.
• The percentage who say they like American music, movies and television ranges from 79 percent in Spain and 74 percent in Italy to just 19 percent in India and 8 percent in Pakistan. But those percentages rise significantly among respondents ages 18 to 29, topping out at 94 percent in Germany and 93 percent in France, and rising to 24 percent in India.
• While 75 percent of Americans have confidence in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the percentage is lower in all European nations — including Greece (12 percent) and Spain (43 percent) — and in China (36 percent), Mexico (27), and India (15). The percentage in Muslim nations is highest in Lebanon (30 percent) and lowest in Pakistan (3 percent).

The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan “fact tank” in Washington, D.C., that provides information on the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping America and the world.
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