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US Role in the World

Americans' Assessments of World Public Opinion on the United


States

Large majorities believe that the US is viewed negatively by people in other countries and
see this as derived primarily from the current US foreign policy not American values. Most
see goodwill towards the United States as important for US national security. Most
Americans believe that people around the world are growing more afraid that the US will
use force against them and that this diminishes US national security and increases the
likelihood that countries will pursue WMDs.

Large majorities in the US perceive that the United States is viewed negatively by the rest of the
world. The September 2006 Public Agenda poll asked, "How do you think the rest of the world
sees the United States?" Sixty four percent answered that the world views the United States
either somewhat (32%) or very negatively (32%). Only 24% said they believe the US is viewed
positively while 8% said that views were "neutral or mixed." The same poll found that 73%
worried somewhat (39%) or a lot (34%) that "The US may be losing the trust and friendship of
people in other countries." Just 26% said they did not worry about this happening.[1]

This negativity is largely attributed to the Bush foreign policy. Asked in a WPO/KN October
2006 poll whether the way the Bush administration has been conducting US foreign policy, on
balance, has increased or decreased "goodwill toward the US", 78% said it had decreased
goodwill and just 18% said it had increased.[2]

Americans tend to believe that dislike of the US stems from its policies rather than an inherent
dislike of American values. Asked in the October 2006 WPO/KN poll if negative attitudes
toward the United States in the Middle East were based mostly on their "dislike of American
values" or "dislike of American policies in the Middle East," more than 62% said that dislike of
American policies in the region were largely responsible. Only one-third (34%) said that it was
dislike of American values.[3]

Negative views of the US concern Americans. A September 2006 Public Agenda survey found
87% saying it that it was important to US national security that "the rest of the world sees the
United States positively." A WPO/KN October 2006 poll showed nine out of 10 (87%) saying it
is very (47%) or somewhat (40%) important "for people in other countries to feel goodwill
toward the United States." [4]

Even when given counter-arguments against viewing goodwill as an important factor, a very
large majority continues to affirm its value as a tool for US security, rather than something that
would inhibit pursuit of US goals. The November 2006 WPO/KN poll presented respondents
with two arguments: 1) "Goodwill toward the US is important in order to obtain cooperation in
dealing with important threats to US security, and because...hostility towards the US can lead
people to actively work against the US." 2) "Goodwill is not really critical for the US because it
is so much stronger than all other countries. Trying to be popular can tie the US's hands and
distract the US from pursuing its security." A very large majority-80 percent-rejected the view
that the United States was so strong it did not need to be concerned about maintaining other
countries' goodwill. Only 17 percent saw goodwill as not critical for US security.[5]

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Americans believe that people around the world increasingly view the US as a military threat.
The November 2006 WPO/KN poll found that 63% assumed that over the last few years
countries around the world have grown more afraid that the United States will use force against
them.[6]

A majority views this growing fear of US military power as negative for US security, even when
presented the argument, sometimes made in policy circles, that fearing American military power
will make other countries more responsive to US preferences. Respondents were asked whether
"as a general rule, if leaders of some countries grow more afraid that the US will use military
force against them," on balance, this tends to be good for US security because such leaders are
"more likely to refrain from doing things the US does not want them to do", or bad for US
security "because it makes them seek out new means of protecting themselves from the US, such
as acquiring weapons of mass destruction."

By a two-to-one margin (63% to 33%), a majority thought that rising fear of US force was bad
for US security (WPO/KN November 2006).[7]

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When asked, in a later question, “if leaders of some countries grow more afraid that the US will
use military force against them, this tends to increase or decrease the likelihood that countries
will try to acquire weapons of mass destruction,” a very large 80 percent said it increased the
likelihood foreign governments would pursue WMD.[8]

Consistent with this majority perception that other countries have become more afraid of the
United States, three out of five also think the world sees the United States as both a strong leader
and a bully. While two-thirds (66%) in a September 2006 Public Agenda poll agreed that other
countries see the United States "as a strong leader," 63% also said they believe that people in
other countries see the United States as a bully.[9]

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