International opinion of President Barack Obama's foreign policy has fallen sharply since his inauguration, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project surveyed people in 21 countries on their attitudes toward the United States, as well as other world issues.
Approval rates for Obama's international policies dropped by more than six points from 2009 in most countries surveyed, and fell by double digits in the groups of European and Muslim countries featured in the poll, as well as in Russia, Japan and Mexico. The most significant change was in China, where approval fell from 57 percent to 27 percent over the past three years.
Many who were surveyed felt that the president hadn't lived up to expectations on issues such climate change and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and that he had failed to listen to other nations. There was especially marked opposition to drone strikes, which are supported in the United States, Britain and India but deeply unpopular in the other countries surveyed.
"There remains a widespread perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally and does not consider the interests of other countries," the Pew report found. "In predominantly Muslim nations, American anti-terrorism efforts are still widely unpopular. And in nearly all countries, there is considerable opposition to a major component of the Obama administration's anti-terrorism policy: drone strikes." Huffington Post
The figures come months before the president seeks re-election, with polls showing a close race with Mitt Romney. BBC
Among five European countries surveyed both in 2009 and 2012, approval of Obama's international policies dropped from 78% to 63%. In five Muslim countries surveyed in both years, the approval rate dropped from 34% to 15%. Russia also joined the countries with double-digit declines, from 40% of respondents approving U.S. international policies to 22%, an 18% decrease. BBC
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Obama's lowest standing is in the Muslim world, where fewer than one in four approve of his policies. Just 15% of people in Muslim countries have a favorable view of the U.S. The Guardian
The poll shows foreigners feel let down by Obama on a range of policies. When he came to power, nearly half of non-Americans thought the new U.S. president would seek international approval for the use of military force. Just 29% believe he has fulfilled that hope. The Guardian
Perhaps most worryingly for Washington, the real collapse in confidence is over the U.S. economy, with majorities in the UK, Germany and France saying that China is now the world's top economic power. The Guardian
Source
The Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project surveyed people in 21 countries on their attitudes toward the United States, as well as other world issues.
Approval rates for Obama's international policies dropped by more than six points from 2009 in most countries surveyed, and fell by double digits in the groups of European and Muslim countries featured in the poll, as well as in Russia, Japan and Mexico. The most significant change was in China, where approval fell from 57 percent to 27 percent over the past three years.
Many who were surveyed felt that the president hadn't lived up to expectations on issues such climate change and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and that he had failed to listen to other nations. There was especially marked opposition to drone strikes, which are supported in the United States, Britain and India but deeply unpopular in the other countries surveyed.
"There remains a widespread perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally and does not consider the interests of other countries," the Pew report found. "In predominantly Muslim nations, American anti-terrorism efforts are still widely unpopular. And in nearly all countries, there is considerable opposition to a major component of the Obama administration's anti-terrorism policy: drone strikes." Huffington Post
The figures come months before the president seeks re-election, with polls showing a close race with Mitt Romney. BBC
Among five European countries surveyed both in 2009 and 2012, approval of Obama's international policies dropped from 78% to 63%. In five Muslim countries surveyed in both years, the approval rate dropped from 34% to 15%. Russia also joined the countries with double-digit declines, from 40% of respondents approving U.S. international policies to 22%, an 18% decrease. BBC
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Obama's lowest standing is in the Muslim world, where fewer than one in four approve of his policies. Just 15% of people in Muslim countries have a favorable view of the U.S. The Guardian
The poll shows foreigners feel let down by Obama on a range of policies. When he came to power, nearly half of non-Americans thought the new U.S. president would seek international approval for the use of military force. Just 29% believe he has fulfilled that hope. The Guardian
Perhaps most worryingly for Washington, the real collapse in confidence is over the U.S. economy, with majorities in the UK, Germany and France saying that China is now the world's top economic power. The Guardian
Source
Uh, maybe that's because it does.