Special to CNN

Foreign policy is the forgotten stepchild of the 2012 U.S. presidential election. At a time when the United States is engaged in the longest war in its history in Afghanistan, when in the eyes of foreigners U.S. stature as the hegemonic power is in question, and when a euro crisis could derail the American economy’s tenuous recovery from the Great Recession, voters choosing their next president are turning inward, preoccupied with domestic affairs to an extent unprecedented in recent times. Nevertheless, when the national security of the United States is seen as threatened by Iran or terrorism, voters remain aggressively internationalist.

Mitt Romney, in his speech accepting the Republican presidential candidacy, failed to mention the ongoing war in Afghanistan, the civil war in Syria or the legacy of Iraq. NATO, the principle U.S. security alliance, was ignored. There was scant reference to China. And the single mention of Russia was intended to show that Romney would be tougher than president Barack Obama in dealing with Moscow.

Obama devoted more time to foreign policy in his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention, reminding voters that he ended the war in Iraq, has set a withdrawal date for Afghanistan, has been tough with China and would not restart the Cold War with Russia. But he too made no mention of Syria or NATO.

Read the full commentary at CNN’s Global Public Square blog

For the most part, opinions of the U.S. have changed little, if at all, in most countries for which trends are available. However, America’s image is far more negative than it was in 2010 in China, while the Japanese give the U.S. considerably higher marks. The rise in favorable views of the U.S. in Japan is undoubtedly driven in part by highly positive reactions to American relief efforts following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in that country.

In most countries, there is a perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally in world affairs. Only in seven countries do majorities say the U.S. considers the interests of countries like theirs when making foreign policy decisions.

When asked whether their governments cooperate with the U.S. government too much, not enough, or the about the right amount, people in most countries say they are satisfied with the amount of cooperation. In most Muslim nations, however, many say their countries cooperate too much with the U.S.; this is also a common opinion in Britain and Mexico. Only in Poland and Kenya is there a desire for more cooperation with the U.S.

The survey also finds that, while there is support for U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism in many parts of the world, the war in Afghanistan, a cornerstone of these efforts, remains unpopular. Majorities or pluralities in 17 of 22 countries believe the U.S. and NATO troops should remove troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible.

U.S. Image Remains Largely Positive In the Obama Years

Majorities in 14 of 23 countries have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the United States. In Europe, at least seven-in-ten in France (75%), Lithuania (73%) and Poland (70%) give the U.S. high marks; 64% in Spain, 62% in Germany, 61% in Britain, 60% in Ukraine and 56% in Russia also express positive opinions.

America’s image is most positive in Japan, where more than eight-in-ten (85%) have a favorable view of the U.S. Favorable ratings for the U.S. have improved markedly since last year, when 66% of Japanese expressed a positive view. This improvement is due at least in part to American relief efforts following the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March; 57% in Japan say the U.S. has done a great deal to assist their country with the impact of the twin disasters. (For more on Japanese views of the effect of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, see “Japanese Resilient, but See Economic Challenges Ahead,” released June 1, 2011.)

In contrast, in China, the image of the U.S. is more negative than it was in 2010. Currently, Chinese respondents are nearly evenly split; 44% have a favorable view and 46% have an unfavorable opinion of the U.S. A year ago, Chinese opinion of the U.S. was decidedly positive, with 58% offering a favorable assessment and 37% giving the U.S. a negative rating.

The U.S. favorability rating is, on balance, positive in India. About four-in-ten (41%) offer a favorable assessment while just 10% have a negative view of the U.S.; however, 49% of Indians do not offer an opinion.

Kenyans continue to give the U.S. high marks, as was the case during George W. Bush’s presidency, although fewer now have a favorable opinion than did so a year ago. About eight-in-ten (83%) Kenyans give the U.S. a positive evaluation, compared with 94% in 2010. Ratings are also largely positive in Brazil, where about six-in-ten (62%) offer a favorable assessment of the U.S. A slim majority (52%) of Mexicans also express positive opinions of the U.S.; 41% have an unfavorable view.

The U.S. receives its most negative ratings in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. Only about one-in-ten in Turkey (10%) and Pakistan (12%) have a favorable opinion of the U.S.; 13% in Jordan, 18% in the Palestinian territories and 20% in Egypt offer positive assessments. Opinions of the U.S. are more positive in Indonesia, where 54% have a favorable view, and Lebanon, where about half (49%) give the U.S. high marks. (For a more detailed analysis of America’s image in predominantly Muslim countries, including religious and sectarian divisions in Lebanon, see “Arab Spring Fails to Improve U.S. Image,” released May 17, 2011.)

Rating the American People

The American people continue to receive positive ratings in most of the countries surveyed. Majorities in 14 of 22 countries say they have a favorable opinion of Americans, including at least eight-in-ten in Japan (87%) and Kenya (81%).

Attitudes toward Americans are also overwhelmingly positive in Europe. Nearly eight-in-ten (78%) in France and about three-quarters in Poland (74%), Britain (73%) and Lithuania (73%) view the American people favorably. Seven-in-ten in Germany, 68% in Ukraine, 64% in Spain and 63% in Russia also express positive opinions of Americans.

Majorities in Israel (75%), Lebanon (62%), Brazil (58%) and Indonesia (52%) give Americans favorable ratings; in India, a 49%-plurality shares this view.

In five of the seven predominantly Muslim countries surveyed, however, few express positive opinions of the American people. This is especially the case in Turkey and Pakistan, where only 12% have a favorable opinion of Americans; 24% of Palestinians, 36% of Egyptians and 37% of Jordanians hold a positive view.

U.S. Unilateralism

The perception that the U.S. does not take the interests of other countries into account when making foreign policy decisions remains widespread. Only in Kenya (74%), Israel (67%), India (57%), China (57%), Germany (56%), Japan (51%) and Brazil (51%) do majorities say the U.S. takes a multilateral approach.

Germans are more likely than they were a year ago to say the U.S. considers their interests; 47% said that was the case in 2010. In the other Western European countries surveyed, fewer than half currently say the U.S. takes a multilateral approach, although this opinion is now more common in Britain than it was in 2010. Four-in-ten British say the U.S. considers other countries’ interests, compared with 35% a year ago. About a third (32%) in France and just 19% in Spain share this view, virtually unchanged from 2010.

Eastern Europeans also give the U.S. low ratings on this issue, and this is especially true in Lithuania and Ukraine. Just 9% of Lithuanians and 15% of Ukrainians say the U.S. considers the interests of countries like theirs when making foreign policy decisions; about a quarter (23%) in Russia and one-third in Poland share this view. Russians and Poles were more likely to say the U.S. took a multilateral approach a year ago (30% and 38%, respectively); in Ukraine, 28% said the U.S. considered their interests in 2007, when the question was last asked in that country.

The opinion that the U.S. acts multilaterally when making foreign policy decisions is also far less widespread in China; 57% say the U.S. takes their interests into account, compared with 76% in 2010. In contrast, Japanese respondents are much more likely to say the U.S. considers the interests of other countries than they were a year ago, when just 31% said that was the case.

In the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed, fewer than a quarter in Lebanon (23%), Jordan (23%), Egypt (21%), Pakistan (20%) and Turkey (17%) say the U.S. takes into account the interests of other countries. The U.S. receives more positive marks in Indonesia; 43% believe the U.S. takes a multilateral approach, but about half (49%) say the U.S. does not consider the interests of other countries when making foreign policy decisions.

Americans offer a much different assessment of their country’s approach to foreign policy than any other public surveyed. About three-quarters (76%) say the U.S. considers the interests of other countries around the world a great deal or a fair amount.

Cooperation With the U.S.

Majorities or pluralities in 11 of 21 nations are satisfied with the amount of cooperation between their countries and the U.S. In six countries, more say their government cooperates too much than say it cooperates about the right amount or too little. Only in Poland and Kenya would pluralities like to see more cooperation with the U.S.

About seven-in-ten (72%) in Germany, 65% in France and 59% in Spain say their governments cooperate about the right amount with the U.S. government. In Britain, however, a 45%-plurality believes their country cooperates too much with the U.S.; another 40% are satisfied with the amount of cooperation between the two countries and 10% say the British government does not cooperate enough with the U.S.

Opinions about cooperation with the U.S. are more mixed across the Eastern European countries surveyed. While a 45%-plurality in Poland believes their government does not cooperate with the U.S. enough, pluralities in Russia (45%) and Lithuania (42%) say their countries cooperate about the right amount. In Ukraine, the same number express satisfaction with the amount of cooperation between their country and the U.S. as say Ukraine does not cooperate enough (35% each); 9% say their country cooperates too much with the U.S. government.

In Mexico, 44% say their country cooperates too much with their neighbor to the north, while about a quarter say Mexico does not cooperate enough (25%) or that it cooperates about the right amount (27%) with the U.S.

Majorities in Jordan (57%), Lebanon (54%) and Pakistan (52%) and a plurality (39%) in Egypt believe their countries cooperate too much with the U.S. In Indonesia, however, a majority (54%) is satisfied with the amount of cooperation between their country and the U.S. Views are more mixed in Turkey, where the same number say there is too much cooperation with the U.S. as say there is not enough (26% each); 32% say their country cooperates with the U.S. about the right amount.

Views of U.S. Anti-Terrorism Efforts

Majorities in 14 of 22 countries support U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism. This is especially the case in Kenya, where about three-quarters (77%) favor American anti-terrorism policies, and in Israel, where 72% share this view.

About seven-in-ten (71%) in France and two-thirds in Germany say they favor U.S. anti-terrorism efforts, as do about six-in-ten in Britain (59%) and Spain (58%). In Eastern Europe, majorities in Lithuania (61%), Poland (60%), Ukraine (55%) and Russia (53%) express support for the American anti-terrorism campaign, but far fewer in Russia and Poland do so compared with a year ago; seven-in-ten Russians and Poles said they favored U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism in 2010.

Support for American anti-terrorism efforts has also declined considerably in China. Currently, about a quarter (23%) favor and 60% oppose U.S. efforts to combat terrorism. In 2010, Chinese respondents were nearly evenly split, with 41% expressing support and 40% saying they opposed these efforts.

Publics in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed continue to give the U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaign low marks. Just 9% in Jordan, 14% in Turkey and 16% in Pakistan say they favor American efforts to fight terrorism; 21% in Egypt and 35% in Lebanon share this view. Indonesia is the only Muslim country surveyed where a majority (55%) expresses support for these efforts; in 2010, two-thirds of Indonesians favored U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism.

War in Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan remains unpopular in most of the countries surveyed. Majorities or pluralities in 17 of 22 countries believe U.S. and NATO troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan as soon as possible. Only in Kenya, Israel, Japan, Spain and India do more say that these troops should remain in Afghanistan until the situation is stabilized than say troops should be removed.

Support for the war is especially low in predominantly Muslim countries. Nearly nine-in-ten (87%) Jordanians and at least three-quarters of Egyptians (78%) and Turks (75%) say troops should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible; about seven-in-ten in Indonesia (71%), Lebanon (71%) and Pakistan (69%) share this view.

Chinese respondents are also overwhelmingly in favor of troop withdrawal; 65% say U.S. and NATO troops should be removed as soon as possible, while just 9% believe these troops should stay in Afghanistan.

In France and Britain, where support for the war rebounded somewhat between fall 2009 and spring 2010, the balance of opinion is once again on the side of troop withdrawal. Nearly six-in-ten (58%) in France say the U.S. and NATO should remove troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 41% favor keeping troops there; in 2010, French opinion was more mixed, with 52% saying troops should be withdrawn and 47% expressing support for keeping them in Afghanistan.

In Britain, 51% now say troops should leave Afghanistan and 41% believe U.S. and NATO troops should stay in that country; a year ago, 45% wanted troops to leave Afghanistan while about half (49%) favored keeping them there. Nearly six-in-ten (58%) Germans favor troop withdrawal, unchanged from a year ago.

In Spain, however, support for the war is now more widespread than it was in 2010. About half (51%) of Spanish respondents believe troops should remain in Afghanistan until the situation is stabilized; 44% say the U.S. and NATO should remove their troops as soon as possible. A year ago, fewer in Spain said troops should stay in Afghanistan than said they should be removed (43% vs. 49%).

For the first time since 2007, when the Pew Research Center first asked this question, more Americans say the U.S. and NATO should remove its troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible than say military troops should remain in that country until the situation has stabilized (52% vs. 41%). A survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted just days before Obama’s speech announcing his policy for drawing down U.S. forces in Afghanistan, finds even more support for troop withdrawal; 56% say troops should be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 39% say they should stay in that country. (For a more detailed analysis of Americans’ opinions about the war in Afghanistan, see “Record Number Favors Removing U.S. Troops from Afghanistan,” released June 21, 2011, by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.)

As has been the case since he took office, opinions of how Obama handles specific international policies lag overall confidence in the U.S. president. In particular, Obama receives low marks for his handling of the situation in Afghanistan, Iran, and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Assessments of the way Obama has dealt with the recent calls for political change in the Middle East and global economic problems are somewhat more positive.

It is of note that Obama gets better grades for dealing with the global economy in most nations surveyed than he does in the U.S. And the American president has managed to create a consensus between Israelis and Palestinians. Solid majorities among both publics disapprove of how he is dealing with their conflict.

Confidence in Obama

President Obama receives some of his most positive ratings in Western Europe. Nearly nine-in-ten (88%) Germans say they have at least some confidence in the U.S. president to do the right thing in world affairs, as do 84% in France, 75% in Britain and 67% in Spain. By comparison, 61% of Americans have confidence in Obama.

Majorities also express confidence in Obama in Kenya (86%), Japan (81%), Lithuania (68%), Brazil (63%), Indonesia (62%) and Poland (52%). Pluralities in India (48%) and China (44%) share this view.

Opinions of Obama are more mixed in Israel, as well as in Russia and Ukraine. About half (49%) of Israelis have at least some confidence in Obama when it comes to world affairs and about the same percentage (51%) has little or no confidence in the U.S. president. In Russia, about four-in-ten (41%) express confidence in Obama, while 43% do not. Among Ukrainians, 37% give Obama positive ratings, while slightly more (42%) say they have little or no confidence.

With the exception of Indonesians, publics in predominantly Muslim countries give Obama decidedly negative ratings. Just 8% in Pakistan, 12% in Turkey and 14% in the Palestinian territories have confidence in the American president to do the right thing in international affairs; 28% in Jordan and 35% in Egypt share this view. Opinions of Obama are somewhat more positive in Lebanon, where 43% express at least some confidence, but a majority (57%) in that country say they have little or no confidence in him. (For a more detailed analysis of views of Obama in predominantly Muslim countries, see “Arab Spring Fails to Improve U.S. Image,” released May 17, 2011.)

Mexicans also give Obama negative ratings; 38% have confidence in him when it comes to world affairs, while 54% say they have little or no confidence in the U.S. president. In 2010, Mexicans were evenly split, with 43% expressing confidence in Obama and the same percentage saying they lacked confidence in him.

Ratings of Obama have also declined since 2010 in Turkey (11 points percentage points), Britain (9 points), Kenya (9 points), Poland (8 points), China (8 points), Indonesia (5 points), and the U.S. (4 points); in the Palestinian territories and Israel, confidence in

Obama has dropped 9 and 7 percentage points, respectively, since 2009, when Palestinians and Israelis were last included in the Pew Global Attitudes survey

In contrast, more Brazilians and Japanese express confidence in Obama than did so a year ago. Confidence in Obama is up 7 percentage points in Brazil, a country the American president visited in March 2011. In Japan, where U.S. efforts to assist with the impact of the March earthquake and tsunami have been widely recognized, confidence in Obama is up 5 points.

Obama’s Handling of Middle East Protests and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Obama receives relatively positive ratings for his handling of the recent calls for political change in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Libya.² Majorities or pluralities in 10 of the 23 countries surveyed approve of the way Obama has dealt with the uprisings, including about seven-in-ten in France (70%) and Germany (69%) and at least six-in-ten in Kenya (64%) and Spain (63%).

Views of Obama’s handling of the recent protests in the Middle East are most negative in the Muslim countries surveyed, where majorities or pluralities are critical of his performance. Still, many in these countries approve of the way Obama has handled the uprisings. This is especially the case in Egypt and Lebanon; 45% of Egyptians and 41% of Lebanese approve of Obama’s handling of calls for political change, while 52% in each country disapprove.

In contrast, Obama receives some of his most negative ratings for his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Only in Kenya do more than half (51%) approve of Obama’s performance on this issue.

In Spain and France, majorities disapprove of Obama’s performance on this issue (58% and 54%, respectively), as does a plurality (42%) in Britain. Germans are nearly evenly divided; 45% approve and 42% disapprove of his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Disapproval of Obama’s performance has increased since last year in France, Spain, and Britain; 47%, 45% and 34%, respectively, gave the American president low marks for his handling of the conflict in 2010.

Palestinians are more critical than Israelis, but majorities among both publics (84% and 64%, respectively) disapprove of the way Obama is dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Elsewhere in the Middle East, at least eight-in-ten in Lebanon (85%), Jordan (82%) and Egypt (82%) disapprove of Obama’s handling of this issue.

Criticism of Iran and Afghanistan Policies

Opinions of the way Obama is dealing with Iran are largely negative across the world. France, Germany and Kenya are the only countries surveyed where a clear majority or plurality approves of Obama’s handling of Iran (53%, 48% and 44%, respectively).

In the Middle Eastern countries surveyed, majorities are critical of Obama’s handling of Iran. This is especially the case in the Palestinian territories and Jordan, where 80% and 77%, respectively, disapprove; 68% in Egypt and Turkey, 61% in Israel and 55% in Lebanon share this view.

Majorities in the other two predominantly Muslim countries surveyed, Indonesia and

Pakistan, also disapprove of the way Obama is dealing with Iran (56% and 52%, respectively). Six-in-ten in Russia, 56% in Mexico and 52% in China share this view, as do about half in Ukraine (49%) and Brazil (48%); just 11% of Ukrainians and 31% of Brazilians approve of Obama’s performance on Iran.

In the U.S., as well as in Spain, Britain, Japan and Poland, views of Obama’s handling of Iran are more mixed. For example, 41% of Americans approve and 45% disapprove of the president’s performance. In Spain, 45% approve and 43% disapprove of the way Obama is dealing with Iran; the same percentage of Poles approves as disapproves (35%).

Approval of Obama’s handling of Iran has declined over the past year in 7 of 18 countries for which trends are available. This is particularly the case in Kenya, Indonesia, Poland, and Russia, where the percentage approving of the president’s performance on this issue is down by double digits (14 percentage points in Kenya and Poland, 13 points in Indonesia and 11 points in Russia).

When asked about Obama’s handling of the situation in Afghanistan, only in Kenya does a majority (57%) give the president high marks.³ Opinions are mixed in the U.S and Western Europe; the same number of Americans approves as disapproves of Obama’s handling of Afghanistan (45% each), and the French (50% approve and 49% disapprove), Germans (49% and 46%) and Spanish (46% and 44%) are also nearly evenly divided. In Britain, somewhat more approve (44%) than disapprove (39%) of the way Obama is dealing with the situation in Afghanistan.

As is the case with other key policies in the Muslim world, views of Obama’s handling of Afghanistan are especially negative in predominantly Muslim countries. Nearly nine-in-ten (87%) Jordanians and at least three-quarters in the Palestinian territories (81%) and Egypt (76%) disapprove of the way Obama is dealing with the situation in Afghanistan; 71% in Lebanon and 70% in Turkey, as well as narrower majorities in Indonesia (56%) and Pakistan (55%) express similar views.

Mostly Good Grades on Global Economy

Majorities or pluralities in 12 of 23 countries surveyed approve of the way the U.S. president is dealing with global economic problems. Kenyans are particularly supportive; nearly eight-in-ten (78%) approve of Obama’s handling of the world economy.

In Western Europe, Germans express the most support for Obama’s handling of economic problems; about two-thirds (68%) approve of the president’s performance. Nearly six-in-ten (59%) in France and narrower majorities in Britain and Spain (52% each) share this view.

By comparison, four-in-ten Americans approve and about half (49%) disapprove of the way Obama is dealing with global economic problems.

Six-in-ten Lithuanians offer support for Obama’s handling of global economic problems. About half (48%) in Poland and 39% in Ukraine approve of the way the U.S. president is dealing with this issue; about a quarter in each country (26% and 25%, respectively) disapprove. In contrast, more in Russia disapprove (36%) than approve (32%) of Obama’s performance.

For the most part, publics in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed are critical of the way Obama is dealing with the world economy. At least seven-in-ten in Jordan (76%) and Egypt (73%) disapprove of Obama’s performance, as do 66% in the Palestinian territories, 62% in Turkey, 53% in Lebanon and 51% in Pakistan. Only in Indonesia does a majority (65%) approve of Obama’s handling of global economic problems; 26% of Indonesians disapprove.

Views of Obama’s performance on the global economy are mixed in Israel, Mexico and China. In Israel, 44% approve and 43% disapprove of the way Obama is handling this issue. About four-in-ten (41%) Mexicans give Obama high marks for his handling of global economic problems, while about the same number (42%) are critical of the president. And in China, 35% approve and 38% disapprove. In contrast, 69% in Japan and 62% in Brazil approve of the way Obama is dealing with economic problems, as do 36% in India; 13% of Indians disapprove and 51% do not offer an opinion.

Most Pakistanis disapprove of the U.S. military operation that killed Osama bin Laden, and although the al Qaeda leader has not been well-liked in recent years, a majority of Pakistanis describe his death as a bad thing. Only 14% say it is a good thing.

Moreover, many Pakistanis believe the U.S. raid on bin Laden’s compound – which was located about 35 miles from Islamabad – will have a negative impact on the already strained relations between the U.S. and their country.

However, the current survey, taken after the raid, showed no material change in opinion of the U.S., when compared with polling conducted immediately before it. In fact, prior to the raid favorable ratings of the U.S. had already fallen to a level not seen since 2002, following the invasion of neighboring Afghanistan.

Currently, just 12% express a positive view of the U.S. and only 8% have confidence in President Barack Obama to do the right thing in world affairs. Obama’s ratings are as low as former President George W. Bush’s were in 2008. Most Pakistanis see the U.S. as an enemy, consider it a potential military threat, and oppose American-led anti-terrorism efforts. All of these views were comparably negative both before and after the killing of bin Laden.

Pakistanis are uncertain about their own government’s role in the military operation that killed bin Laden. About three-in-ten (29%) believe the Pakistani government authorized the raid and 23% say it did not, but 49% say they do not know. Only 18% think the government knew bin Laden was hiding in Abbottabad and 29% do not think that was the case; again, roughly half (53%) offer no opinion.

Support for the Pakistani government’s military campaign against extremist groups has waned in recent years. Just 37% support using the Pakistani army to fight extremists in the country’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region (formerly the North-West Frontier Province). This level is significantly lower than it was two years ago, when, in a survey taken following conflict between government forces and Taliban-affiliated groups in the Swat Valley area, 53% endorsed using the army to battle these organizations.

Similarly, fears that extremists might take over Pakistan have declined since 2009. Currently, 55% are very or somewhat worried about this possibility – still a sizeable number, but substantially lower than the 69% expressing such concern two years ago.

While concerns about an extremist takeover and support for using military force against extremist groups may be slipping, the groups themselves remain widely unpopular. Just 12% of Pakistanis have a positive view of al Qaeda, down from 18% in 2010. Only 12% give the Taliban a favorable rating, and when asked more specifically about the Tehrik-i-Taliban (which is based in Pakistan) and the Afghan Taliban, Pakistanis give both groups similarly low levels of support.

There is somewhat more support for Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Kashmir-based group that has carried out numerous attacks against India. Currently, 27% have a positive opinion of the organization.

These are among the key findings from two face-to-face personal interview surveys conducted in Pakistan by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project. The first was conducted April 10-26 among 1,970 Pakistanis as part of the 23-nation spring 2011 Pew Global Attitudes poll. The second was a special survey conducted only in Pakistan May 8-15, among 1,251 Pakistanis, following the May 2 killing of Osama bin Laden by the U.S. military. This second survey included a new set of questions specifically about bin Laden’s death and repeated nearly all of the questions from the first survey. The samples for both surveys cover approximately 85% of the Pakistani population.¹ Throughout the report, results from the May survey are featured, although comparative data from the April survey are referenced on several questions of particular interest. In general, there are few notable differences between the results of the first and second surveys, suggesting that the death of bin Laden had little impact on Pakistani public opinion about the U.S. or about other issues included on the survey.

Disapproval of U.S. Foreign Policy and Opposition to Drone Strikes

Key features of U.S. foreign policy remain unpopular in Pakistan. Only one-in-five think the U.S. considers Pakistani interests when making foreign policy decisions. Almost seven-in-ten (69%) want U.S. and NATO troops out of neighboring Afghanistan. Roughly six-in-ten (62%) oppose U.S. anti-terrorism efforts.

And beyond the opposition to the raid on bin Laden’s compound, there are other signs that Pakistanis are concerned about issues related to sovereignty and the use of American military force within their country’s borders. Among those who are aware of U.S. drone strikes against extremists in Pakistan, these attacks are widely seen as unnecessary and as too costly in terms of innocent lives. Fears about U.S. military power are widespread – 69% believe the U.S. could be a military threat to Pakistan.

India Seen as Bigger Threat Than Taliban, al Qaeda

Pakistani views of traditional rival India have grown increasingly negative in recent years. Three-in-four express an unfavorable opinion of India, up from 50% five years ago.

When asked which is the biggest threat to their country, India, the Taliban, or al Qaeda, a majority of Pakistanis (57%) say India.

Still, roughly seven-in-ten say it is important to improve relations with India, believe increased trade with their neighbor would be a good thing, and support further talks to reduce tensions between the two countries.

Similarly, Indians express negative opinions of Pakistan; 65% have an unfavorable view of their traditional rival and more name Pakistan as India’s biggest threat (45%) than name Lashkar-e-Taiba (19%) or Naxalites (16%). Yet, like Pakistanis, Indians would like to see improved relations between the two countries and most support increased trade between India and Pakistan.

Grim Ratings for National Conditions and Zardari

Pakistanis continue to be highly dissatisfied with conditions in their country. Roughly nine-in-ten (92%) are dissatisfied with the country’s direction. Almost as many (85%) say the economic situation in Pakistan is bad. And optimism is scarce – 60% think the economy will worsen in the next 12 months; only 13% believe it will improve.

Pakistanis list a myriad of problems afflicting their nation – huge majorities say rising prices, a lack of jobs, crime, terrorism and political corruption are very big problems. Unsurprisingly, given these dismal assessments, ratings for President Asif Ali Zardari are overwhelmingly negative. Only 11% have a favorable view of him, down from 20% last year. His prime minister and fellow Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader, Yousaf Raza Gilani, receives a positive rating from 37% – a significant drop from 59% in 2010.

Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif fares better: 63% express a positive opinion of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader, down from a year ago when 71% held this view. The most popular leader tested is former cricket star Imran Khan. Nearly seven-in-ten (68%) have a favorable view of the athlete turned politician, up from 52% in 2010.

On balance, Pakistanis continue to view Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry positively, although his ratings have fallen somewhat since last year (51% favorable in 2011; 61% in 2010).

Even though the Pakistani military has received some criticism since the U.S. raid that killed bin Laden, it remains overwhelmingly popular: 79% say it is having a good influence on the country. Ratings for military chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani have remained on balance positive – 52% give him a favorable and 21% an unfavorable rating. This represents a slight change from the April poll conducted prior to bin Laden’s death, when 57% rated him favorably and 18% unfavorably.

Also of Note

• In addition to the military, the media and religious leaders are also well-regarded; 76% of Pakistanis say the media are having a good influence on the way things are going in their country and 60% say the same about religious leaders. Few give the police and the national government positive ratings.
• Just 37% of Pakistanis say they followed news about the U.S. military raid that killed bin Laden very or somewhat closely, while 39% followed news about the raid not too closely or not at all closely.
• Most Pakistanis support the U.S. providing financial and humanitarian aid to areas where extremist groups operate, and many want the U.S. to provide intelligence and logistical support for Pakistani troops fighting extremists.
• Violence is the top concern among those who are worried about Islamic extremism in Pakistan; 40% say this, compared with 24% who are most concerned about the impact of extremism on the national economy, 16% who worry that it will lead to loss of freedoms, and 15% who fear extremism will divide the country.
• More than eight-in-ten (85%) Pakistanis say suicide bombing and other violent acts against civilians in defense of Islam are never justified. Far fewer (38%) said this was the case in 2002, when the Pew Research Center first asked this question.

The violence associated with Islamic extremism is the primary concern of Pakistanis who worry about extremism, and this has become increasingly so in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death. But many also fear that extremism will hurt the economy and, to a lesser extent, that it will lead to divisions in their country and to loss of personal freedoms and choices.

Al Qaeda, the Taliban and its affiliated groups, and Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani extremist organization that is active in Kashmir, receive low ratings in Pakistan, and Pakistanis overwhelmingly reject the violent attacks against civilians that are associated with these groups. When asked about the possibility of the Taliban regaining control of neighboring Afghanistan, however, slightly more Pakistanis say this would be good for Pakistan than say it would be bad; many Pakistanis say it would not matter for their country or do not offer an opinion. Still, most see the situation in Afghanistan as a very big problem for Pakistan, and nearly seven-in-ten want U.S. and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible.

Concerns About Extremism

About six-in-ten (63%) Pakistanis say they are very or somewhat concerned about Islamic extremism in their country these days, and 55% express similar concern that extremists could take control of Pakistan.

Concerns about extremism after the U.S. military raid that killed Osama bin Laden are consistent with concerns just prior to bin Laden’s death and a year before, but have declined considerably since 2009. Two years ago, nearly eight-in-ten (79%) said they were concerned about Islamic extremism and 69% were very or somewhat worried about an extremist takeover. By 2010, 65% expressed concern about extremism in their country and about half (51%) feared that extremists could take over Pakistan, levels that remained essentially unchanged in the month preceding bin Laden’s death, when 63% expressed concern about Islamic extremism and 52% worried that extremists could take control of their country.

Following bin Laden’s death, somewhat more Pakistanis rate his organization as a serious threat than did so just before he died (49% vs. 44%). The percentage of Pakistanis rating al Qaeda as a threat to their country has increased since last year, after dropping considerably between 2009 and 2010; 38% saw the organization as a serious threat in 2010, compared with 61% in 2009.

Perceptions of the Taliban as a threat to Pakistan are unchanged from last year with 54% seeing the Taliban as a serious threat. As is the case with views of al Qaeda, however, far fewer now see the Taliban as a threat than did so in 2009, when 73% expressed concern.

Fears of Islamic extremism are especially pronounced in Punjab, where 70% say they are concerned about extremism and 60% worry that extremists could take control of Pakistan. By comparison, 58% in Sindh, 53% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 26% in Baluchistan are concerned about Islamic extremism and 52%, 51% and 25%, respectively, worry about an extremist takeover of Pakistan; more than six-in-ten in Baluchistan do not offer opinions on these questions.

More than half in Punjab (56%) and Sindh (61%) consider the Taliban a serious threat to their country, compared with 47% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 17% in Baluchistan. Concerns about al Qaeda are most common in Sindh, where nearly six-in-ten (58%) consider the group a serious threat; 50% in Punjab, 42% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 11% in Baluchistan share this concern. About three-quarters (78%) in Baluchistan do not offer an opinion about the threat posed by the Taliban and 84% do not offer opinions on al Qaeda.

Violence Top Concern About Extremism

When those who say they are concerned about Islamic extremism in Pakistan are asked what concerns them most about extremism, four-in-ten say it is the fact that it is violent; 24% are primarily worried that Islamic extremism will hurt the economy, while about one-in-six say their main concern is that it will lead to people having fewer personal freedoms and choices (16%) or that it will divide the country (15%).

Concerns about the violence associated with Islamic extremism are more common now than they were immediately before bin Laden’s death; about a third (34%) of those who expressed concerns about extremism in April said violence was their primary concern. About a quarter (23%) were most concerned about divisions in the country, and close to one-in-five were primarily worried about extremism hurting the economy (21%) or about loss of personal freedoms and choices (18%)

Militant Groups Poorly Regarded

Few in Pakistan express positive opinions of militant groups like al Qaeda, the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Currently, just about one-in-eight (12%) rate al Qaeda favorably and 55% have an unfavorable view of the group; a year ago, 18% expressed positive views and 53% had negatives opinions of al Qaeda. Al Qaeda’s late leader, Osama bin Laden, received mostly negative ratings from Pakistanis in the weeks before his death; just 21% said they had confidence in bin Laden while 42% lacked confidence in him.

Views of the Taliban and its affiliated groups also remain negative. About one-in-eight (12%) Pakistanis have a favorable opinion of the Taliban, while 63% give the group a negative rating. Tehrik-i-Taliban, an umbrella organization of Taliban-linked groups in Pakistan, and the Afghan Taliban are viewed favorably by 19% and 15%, respectively; about half have an unfavorable opinion of Tehrik-i-Taliban (51%) and the Afghan Taliban (50%). Many do not offer an opinion of these groups.

Similarly, views of Lashkar-e-Taiba are, on balance, negative; 27% have a positive view and 37% have an unfavorable opinion of the group. More than one-third (36%) of Pakistanis do not offer an opinion.

For the most part, opinions about militant organizations do not vary significantly across demographic groups or regions. However, in Punjab, where Lashkar-e-Taiba is based, opinions of that group are more positive than in other provinces; about a third (34%) in Punjab rate Lashkar-e-Taiba favorably and nearly the same number (35%) offer negative views. In the other three provinces, opinions of Lashkar-e-Taiba are, on balance, negative.

Afghanistan

More Pakistanis now say that the situation in Afghanistan is a very big problem for their country than did so a year ago; 60% say this is the case, compared with 51% in 2010.

About seven-in-ten (69%) say the U.S. and NATO should remove their troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible, up slightly from 2010, when 65% wanted troops to withdraw from the neighboring country. Just 8% think troops should remain in Afghanistan until the situation is stabilized and 22% do not offer an opinion.

When asked whether it would be good or bad for Pakistan if the Taliban were to regain control of Afghanistan, somewhat more now say it would be good (26%) than say it would be bad (21%); a year ago, 18% believed it would be good for Pakistan if the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and 25% said it would be bad. Still, as was the case in 2010, many Pakistanis say it would not matter if this were to happen (26%) or do not offer an opinion (27%).

Widespread Rejection of Suicide Bombing

Pakistanis continue to reject the notion that suicide attacks against civilians in defense of Islam can be justified. More than eight-in-ten (85%) Muslims in Pakistan say this kind of violence is never justified; another 3% says it is rarely justified and just 5% say it is sometimes or often justified.

Rejection of suicide bombing against civilians is more widespread among Pakistani Muslims than among any other Muslim public surveyed, although majorities in Indonesia (77%), Turkey (60%) and Jordan (55%) also say these types of attacks are never justified. About four-in-ten Muslims in Israel (41%), Lebanon (39%) and Egypt (38%), and just 19% in the Palestinian territories, reject suicide terrorism.

Views of suicide bombing in Pakistan are far more negative than they were earlier in the decade. In 2002, when the Pew Research Center first asked this question, one-third of Muslims in Pakistan said violent acts against civilians in defense of Islam were often (19%) or sometimes (14%) justified; about four-in-ten (38%) said they were never justified.

U.S. President Barack Obama also receives low marks in largely Muslim countries. With the exception of Indonesia, majorities in the countries surveyed lack confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs. And for the most part, Obama’s handling of issues in the Muslim world, including the recent uprisings in the Middle East, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran and Afghanistan, are met with disapproval.

In general, attitudes toward the U.S. and Obama are more positive in Israel than in the other Middle Eastern countries surveyed and in the Muslim world more broadly. Yet, majorities of Israelis also disapprove of the way Obama is handling key issues in the Muslim world, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On most measures, Israeli Arabs offer more negative assessments of the U.S. and Obama than do Israeli Jews.

U.S. Image Largely Negative

The United States receives negative ratings in most of the predominantly Muslim nations surveyed. This is especially the case in Turkey and Pakistan, where only about one-in-ten have a favorable opinion of the U.S. (10% and 11%, respectively). In Jordan, just 13% offer positive ratings, as do 18% in the Palestinian territories and 20% in Egypt.

America’s image is more positive in Lebanon and Indonesia. A majority of Indonesians (54%) have a favorable view of the U.S., while four-in-ten have an unfavorable opinion. In Lebanon, opinions about the U.S. are evenly divided – 49% have a positive view and 49% have a negative opinion.

Attitudes toward the U.S. are more negative than they were a year ago in four of the seven predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. In Jordan, favorable ratings are down eight percentage points, from 21% in 2010. Similar drops in U.S. favorability are evident in Turkey (7 percentage points), Pakistan (6 points) and Indonesia (5 points).

U.S. Seen as Unilateralist

Publics in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed continue to say that the U. S. tends to act unilaterally in world affairs. Fewer than a quarter in Lebanon (23%), Jordan (23%), Egypt (21%), Pakistan (18%) and Turkey (17%) say the U.S. considers the interests of countries like theirs when making foreign policy decisions.

The U.S. receives more positive marks on this issue in Indonesia, where 43% believe the U.S. takes a multilateral approach. Still, about half (49%) in that country say the U.S. does not consider other countries’ interests when making foreign policy decisions.

In Turkey, Egypt and Lebanon, respondents are more likely than they were last year to say the U.S. takes other countries’ interests into account. In 2010, 9% of Turks, 15% of Egyptians and 19% of Lebanese said the U.S. acted multilaterally. In contrast, Indonesians are now less likely than they were a year ago to say the U.S. takes a multilateral approach; half said that was the case in 2010.

Cooperation With the U.S.

Majorities in Jordan (57%), Lebanon (54%) and Pakistan (54%) believe their countries’ governments cooperate too much with the U.S. government; a 39% plurality in Egypt shares this view.

Views about cooperation with the U.S. are more mixed in Turkey, where 26% say their government cooperates too much with the U.S. and the same percentage says the Turkish government does not cooperate with the U.S. enough; about a third (32%) of Turks say their country cooperates with the U.S. about the right amount.

Most Indonesians are satisfied with the amount of cooperation between their country and the U.S.; 54% say their government cooperates about the right amount, while 19% believe it cooperates too much and 18% say it does not cooperate enough with the U.S. government.

U.S. Still Seen as a Threat

Majorities in six of the seven predominantly Muslim countries surveyed say they are very or somewhat worried that the U.S. could become a military threat to their country someday. Concern about a potential U.S. threat is especially widespread in the Palestinian territories, where about nine-in-ten (91%) say it could pose a threat.

In Indonesia, where most view the U.S. favorably, 71% express concern that the U.S. could pose a military threat to their country someday. This view is shared by two-thirds in Pakistan, about six-in-ten in Lebanon (59%) and Turkey (59%) and 54% in Egypt.

Jordan is the only largely Muslim country surveyed where fewer than half express concern about a potential U.S. threat; 46% say they are worried, while 52% say they are not worried. A year ago, 52% of Jordanians were concerned that the U.S. could pose a military threat to their country and 47% were not worried.

Views of U.S. Anti-Terror Efforts and the War in Afghanistan

Support for U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism remains low in most of the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. Just 9% in Jordan and 14% in Turkey and Pakistan say they favor American anti-terrorism efforts; 21% of Egyptians and about one-third of Lebanese (35%) express support.

Indonesians offer more positive opinions of the U.S. on this issue than do publics in other largely Muslim countries. More than half (55%) in Indonesia favor U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism, while one-third oppose such efforts.

The war in Afghanistan, a cornerstone of American anti-terrorism efforts, is unpopular in the Muslim world. At least two-thirds in the seven predominantly Muslim countries surveyed say U.S. and NATO troops should withdraw from Afghanistan as soon as possible.

Jordanians are especially inclined to favor withdrawal from Afghanistan; nearly nine-in-ten (87%) want troops to leave as soon as possible. About eight-in-ten (78%) in Egypt, three-quarters in Turkey and 71% in Indonesia and Lebanon also share this opinion, as do 68% in Pakistan.

Views of President Obama

Like the United States, President Obama receives low marks in most of the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. Just about one-in-ten Pakistanis (10%) and Turks (12%) and 14% of Palestinians say they have at least some confidence in the American president to do the right thing in world affairs. Obama also gets negative ratings in Jordan and Egypt, where only 28% and 35%, respectively, say they have confidence in him.

Views of Obama are somewhat more positive in Lebanon; 43% in that country have at least some confidence in him. Still, nearly six-in-ten (57%) Lebanese say they have little or no confidence in the American president.

Indonesia is the only predominantly Muslim country surveyed where a majority expresses confidence in Obama to do the right things in world affairs. About six-in-ten (62%) Indonesians say they have confidence in Obama, while 35% do not.

Yet, confidence in Obama has declined somewhat among Indonesians since last year; two-thirds offered positive opinions of him in 2010. Positive ratings of Obama have declined even more in Turkey, where nearly a quarter (23%) said they had confidence in the U.S. president a year ago; and among Palestinians, favorable ratings of Obama have declined nine percentage points since 2009, when the Palestinian territories were last included in the survey.

Low Ratings for Obama’s Policies

Majorities or pluralities in nearly all of the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed disapprove of Obama’s handling of four important issues in the Muslim world – the calls for political change in the Middle East, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the situation in Afghanistan, and Iran.

Obama receives his lowest marks for his performance on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. At least eight-in-ten in Lebanon (85%), the Palestinians territories (84%), Egypt (82%) and Jordan (82%) disapprove of the way Obama is handling this issue.

About two-thirds in Turkey (68%) and 57% in Indonesia also disapprove of Obama’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The balance of opinion is also negative in Pakistan; 45% disapprove while just 6% approve of Obama’s handling of the conflict. About half (49%) of Pakistanis do not offer an opinion.

As is the case with his performance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ratings for Obama’s handling of Iran and the situation in Afghanistan are extremely low. At least 70% in five of the Muslim countries surveyed disapprove of the president’s performance on Afghanistan, with Jordanians and Palestinians expressing particularly negative opinions (87% and 81%, respectively, disapprove). And while Obama’s handling of Iran has the approval of four-in-ten Lebanese, a majority in that country (55%), as well as in Indonesia (56%), Turkey (68%), Egypt (68%), Jordan (77%) and the Palestinian territories (80%), disapprove.

Opinions about Obama’s handling of the recent uprisings in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Libya are also negative, but considerable minorities in the Middle East approve of his job performance on this issue. This is especially the case in Egypt, where protests led to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year; 45% of Egyptians approve of Obama’s handling of calls for political change in the Middle East, while 52% disapprove. About four-in-ten (41%) in Lebanon, 33% in the Palestinian territories and 31% in Jordan also approve of Obama’s job performance on this issue; 52%, 63% and 65%, respectively, disapprove.

In the non-Arab countries surveyed, Obama also gets low marks for his handling of the Arab Spring, but many do not offer an opinion. For example, 65% in Turkey disapprove of Obama’s job performance on this issue and just 8% approve, but 27% say they do not know; in Pakistan, 40% disapprove of Obama’s handling of the uprisings in the Middle East, 5% approve, and a 55%-majority does not offer an opinion.

Religious and Sectarian Divide in Lebanon

Ratings of the United States and President Obama vary considerably across religious and sectarian groups in Lebanon. On nearly every measure, Shia Muslims in that country offer far more negative assessments of the U.S., its handling of foreign policy and its president. For example, seven-in-ten Lebanese Christians and 59% of Sunnis say they have a favorable opinion of the U.S.; in contrast, just 12% of Lebanese Shia rate the U.S. positively, while 88% give it an unfavorable rating.

Majorities of Lebanese Christians (57%) and Sunnis (55%) also express confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs, compared with just 14% of Shia. And while majorities among the three groups say the U.S. acts unilaterally when making foreign policy decisions, about one-third of Christians (34%) and 30% of Sunnis say the U.S. takes the interests of countries like Lebanon into account, while just 4% of Shia Muslims say this is the case. Moreover, nine-in-ten Shia say their government cooperates too much with the U.S. government, far more than the percentage of Christians (38%) and Sunnis (39%) who share this view.

Lebanese Shia are also more critical of Obama’s handling of issues in the Muslim world, although Christians and Sunnis also often express disapproval. For example, at least three-quarters of Christians (76%) and Sunnis (81%) give Obama low marks for his handling of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but Shia are unanimous in their disapproval of the president’s job performance on this issue.

Attitudes Toward the U.S. and Obama in Israel

Israelis continue to offer far more positive opinions of the U.S. and Obama than do their neighbors in the Middle East, but views in that country often divide along ethnic lines. About seven-in-ten (72%) Israelis, including 77% of Israeli Jews, have a favorable view of the U.S.; among Israeli Arabs, however, views of the U.S. are mostly negative, with 36% offering a positive opinion and nearly six-in-ten (58%) saying they have an unfavorable view.

Overall, Israeli opinions of Obama are more negative than ratings for the U.S. in that country. Nearly half (49%) of Israelis have at least some confidence in him to do the right thing in world affairs and about the same number (51%) do not have confidence in Obama; Israeli Jews are also about evenly divided in their opinion of the U.S. president. Among Israeli Arabs, however, Obama’s ratings match the negative views of the U.S.; 38% of Arabs have confidence in Obama, while 60% do not.

Arabs in Israel are also more likely than their Jewish counterparts to say their government cooperates with the U.S. too much; 40% of Arabs say this is the case, while 25% say Israel does not cooperate enough and 23% say it cooperates about the right amount with the U.S. Among Israeli Jews, 30% believe their government cooperates too much, 22% say it does not cooperate enough, and a 44%-plurality says it cooperates about the right amount with the U.S.

There is agreement between Israeli Arabs and Jews on some issues, however. Majorities among both groups say the U.S. takes the interests of countries like Israel into account when making foreign policy decisions, and Arabs are more likely than Jews to say this is the case (89% vs. 65%). Still, at least six-in-ten in each group disapprove of Obama’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (64% of Jews and 67% of Arabs) and Iran (61% of Jews and 66% of Arabs).

Israeli Jews are more critical than Arabs of Obama’s handling of the recent calls for political change in the Middle East. Among Jews, 36% approve and 52% disapprove of Obama’s job performance on this issue; nearly half (48%) of Israeli Arabs approve and 35% disapprove of Obama’s handling of the recent uprisings in the region.

Driven by President Obama’s popularity in the region, favorable ratings for the U.S. in Western Europe soared between 2008 and 2009, and in this year’s poll attitudes remain overwhelmingly positive in Britain, France, Germany and Spain.

Opinions about the U.S. have turned sharply negative, however, in Mexico, where resentment of Arizona’s new immigration law is fueling a backlash against the U.S., the American people, and even against President Obama, who has publicly criticized the measure.

And, despite the continued favorable image of the U.S. in most parts of the world, in nine of the fifteen countries where comparable data is available, America’s favorability still lags behind that found in 1999/2000 at the end of President Bill Clinton’s time in office. The U.S. is only more popular in five countries than in the Clinton era – France, Spain, Russia, South Korea and Nigeria.

The U.S. also continues to face image challenges in predominantly Muslim nations. Roughly one year since Obama’s Cairo address, America’s image shows few signs of improving in the Muslim world, where opposition to key elements of U.S. foreign policy remains pervasive and many continue to perceive the U.S. as a potential military threat to their countries.

Concerns about American foreign policy are not limited to Muslim publics, however. Most notably, in regions across the globe, there is a common perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally in world affairs. The war in Afghanistan also remains widely unpopular, although publics among some of America’s European allies are closely divided on this issue. Support for the war has declined over the last year in the U.S. and Americans are also now about evenly split between those who want to keep troops in Afghanistan and those who favor withdrawal.

One issue on which Americans and Western Europeans differ sharply is how they perceive religiosity in the U.S. By a hefty margin, the French, British and Germans say the U.S. is too religious a country, while Americans overwhelmingly think their country is not religious enough. On this issue, Americans tend to agree with the rest of the world – in 17 of 21 countries people tend to say the U.S. is not sufficiently religious.

U.S. Image Largely Positive

Majorities or pluralities in 17 of 21 countries have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the U.S. The biggest increase in favorable ratings for the U.S. has been among Russians. In America’s former Cold War nemesis, 57% now have a positive view, up 13 percentage points from last year. There was also a significant increase in the other former Eastern bloc nation included in the survey, Poland, where 74% express a favorable opinion, up from 67% in 2009.

Among America’s key Western European allies, ratings remain generally positive and largely steady. After a steep decline in approval during the years of the Bush presidency, large majorities in all four Western European nations surveyed now express a positive attitude toward the U.S. Fully 73% in France give the U.S. positive marks, essentially unchanged from last year. U.S. favorability dropped just slightly in Britain, from 69% to 65%. Again this year, just over six-in-ten in Germany (63%) and Spain (61%) offered a favorable assessment.

Favorable ratings for the U.S. have suffered a double-digit decline in Egypt. In 2009, 27% of Egyptians had a favorable opinion, but this year only 17% hold this view, tying Egypt with Turkey (17%) and Pakistan (17%) for the lowest U.S. favorability rating in the survey. Views of the U.S. are only slightly more positive in Jordan, where 21% give a favorable assessment, down somewhat from 25% last year. The two predominantly Muslim countries that accord the U.S. its most positive ratings are Lebanon (55%) and, especially, Indonesia (59%), where President Obama’s personal connection to the country buoys America’s overall image.

Ratings for the U.S. have improved markedly in China – 58% have a positive view this year, up from 47% last year. America’s image has been steadily improving in China since 2007, when only 34% expressed a favorable opinion.

Favorable ratings have become less common over the last year in India, dropping 10 percentage points. Nonetheless, 66% of Indians continue to hold a positive opinion of the U.S.

An identical percentage of Japanese (66%) voice a positive view. And despite the July 2009 election of a new ruling party that, according to many observers, has voiced criticisms of American policies, U.S. favorability has actually risen seven percentage points since the spring 2009 poll. Elsewhere in Asia, South Koreans continue to give the U.S. overwhelmingly positive marks (79%).

The only publics giving the U.S. higher marks than South Koreans are the two nations surveyed in sub-Saharan Africa. Roughly eight-in-ten (81%) have a positive view in the continent’s most populous country, Nigeria. And with near unanimity, Kenyans (94%) voice a positive opinion of the U.S. Additionally, President Obama is extremely popular in Kenya, and the 2009 Pew Global Attitudes survey found that the vast majority of Kenyans were aware of his personal connection to their nation (his father was from Kenya). However, the U.S. was also relatively popular in Kenya, and in much of Africa, during George W. Bush’s presidency.

In contrast, Argentines have given the U.S. largely negative reviews in recent years, although favorable ratings have become more common since 2008. Currently, Argentines are nearly evenly divided; 42% rate the U.S. favorably and 41% rate it unfavorably. The U.S. gets more positive evaluations in neighboring Brazil, where roughly 62% have a favorable opinion.³

The biggest decline in overall ratings for the U.S. occurred in Mexico, the result, in part, of a backlash against the recently passed immigration bill in Arizona. Overall, favorable opinions of the U.S. have dropped from 69% to 56% in Mexico since 2009, but there are sharp differences between those interviewed before and after the Arizona measure was signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010. Among respondents interviewed from April 14-20, 62% had a positive view of the U.S., compared with just 44% of those interviewed May 1-6.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Mexicans surveyed after the law’s enactment have heard of the new law, including 23% have heard a lot about it; one-in-four have not heard of it.

When asked how leaders on both sides of the border are handling the controversial new measure, Mexicans generally offer negative assessments. In particular, Gov. Brewer gets poor marks – 75% disapprove of the way she has dealt with the law. And even though U.S. President Barack Obama has criticized the new law, a majority of Mexicans (54%) disapprove of the way he has handled the crisis. Evaluations of Mexican President Felipe Calderón are not as negative, although on balance more respondents disapprove (43%) than approve (25%) of his performance.

Muslim Opinion

Among the Muslim populations surveyed, Indonesia and Nigeria are the only countries in which most Muslims have a favorable view of the U.S. Seven-in-ten Nigerian Muslims express a positive opinion, up from 61% last year. The country’s Christian population continues to give the U.S. extremely high ratings – 92% offer a favorable opinion.

Overall, 39% of Lebanese Muslims have a favorable view of the U.S., but this masks deep divisions within the country’s Muslim population. Roughly three-in-four (74%) Lebanese Sunni Muslims express a positive opinion. While this is down from last year’s extraordinarily high 90%, it is still higher than in 2007 and 2008, and is a much more positive rating than the U.S. receives among the largely Sunni Arab populations of Egypt and Jordan. However, almost no Lebanese Shia Muslims (2%) have a positive opinion of the U.S. Meanwhile, 74% of Lebanese Christians have a favorable view, up from 66% in 2009.

Many in Muslim Countries Still See U.S. Threat

Majorities in all six predominantly Muslim nations surveyed say they are very or somewhat worried that the U.S. could pose a military threat to their country someday.

After dropping steeply between 2007 and 2009 in Jordan and Egypt, concerns about a U.S. threat have risen slightly in both countries this year. The trend has moved sharply in the opposite direction however, in Pakistan, where 65% see the U.S. as a potential military threat, down from 79% in 2009. Despite having relatively positive views of the U.S. on other measures, Indonesians continue to express a high degree of concern about a potential U.S. threat (76%).

Rating the American People

The American people receive largely positive ratings among the nations surveyed, with majorities or pluralities in 16 of 21 countries saying they have a favorable opinion of Americans.

Moreover, on balance, attitudes towards Americans have grown somewhat more positive in the last year. Among the 20 countries outside the U.S. where trends are available, favorable views of the American people have increased in nine countries, remained about the same in 10, and decreased in only one.

The largest increase took place in China, where positive views of Americans jumped from 42% in 2009 to 61% in this year’s poll. Sizeable increases also occurred in Poland (+8 percentage points), Russia (+7 points) and Spain (+7 points).

The only nation in which the image of the American people declined was in neighboring Mexico. Overall, 49% of Mexicans voice a positive opinion of Americans, down from 57% last year. Here again, Mexican public opinion was very different before and after the passage of the Arizona immigration law. Prior to the law’s enactment, 55% held a positive view of Americans, but this plummeted to 39% afterwards.

By far, Turks (16%) and Pakistanis (18%) give Americans their lowest favorability rating, and less than a majority express a positive opinion in Egypt (39%), Argentina (39%) and Jordan (44%).

Perceptions of U.S. Unilateralism

The belief that the U.S. tends to act unilaterally in world affairs remains widespread in this year’s survey. Majorities in only five nations say the U.S. takes into account the interests of countries like theirs when making foreign policy decisions.

The U.S. receives its most positive marks on this issue in India, where more than eight-in-ten (83%) say America considers the interests of countries like India a great deal or a fair amount.

In China, 76% believe the U.S. considers their interest when making foreign policy, up from 62% last year. Big majorities also hold this view in the African nations surveyed: Kenya (75%) and Nigeria (66%).

In no European country surveyed does a majority think the U.S. takes their interests into account. Between 2007 and 2009, the British, French and German publics became much more likely to believe the U.S. considers their interests. However, this view has become slightly less common in all three nations over the last year. The share of the public who think the U.S. considers their interests has dropped eight percentage points in Britain, seven in Germany, and five in France.

There are five countries where fewer than 20% believe the U.S. considers their interest: Pakistan (19%), Lebanon (19%), Argentina (16%), Egypt (15%) and Turkey (9%). This single-digit number in Turkey is down six percentage points since last year, and is as low as it was in 2003, shortly after the start of the Iraq war.

Americans tend to see this issue quite differently from much of the rest of the world. When asked how much their country takes into account the interests of other countries around the world, 76% of Americans say a great deal or a fair amount. This is little changed from last year, but is significantly higher than in 2007, when 59% of Americans expressed this opinion.

Views of U.S. Anti-Terror Efforts

Majorities in 12 of the 22 countries surveyed say they favor U.S.-led efforts to fight terrorism, including all four Western European countries. Support for American anti-terrorism efforts rose substantially in Western Europe between 2007 and 2009, and it remains high in this year’s poll, although support has declined a bit in Britain, France and Germany.

A similar pattern can be seen in India and China, where support for the U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaign increased sharply between 2007 and 2009, but has fallen significantly in the last year, dropping 17 percentage points in India and nine points in China.

Support for these efforts is consistently low in the Middle East and Turkey, as well as in Pakistan – a nation crucial to American efforts to combat al Qaeda and similar groups. Only 19% of Pakistanis say they favor U.S.-led anti-terrorism efforts, down from 24% last year.

U.S. anti-terrorism policies are widely endorsed in both Poland (70%) and Russia (70%), and in the latter support is up 16 percentage points from last year. Kenyans (75%) give these policies their highest level of approval outside the U.S. Two-thirds also favor these efforts in Nigeria, but there are major differences along religious lines. Among Nigerian Christians, 86% favor U.S.-led anti-terrorism efforts, while only 9% oppose them. There is less support among the country’s Muslim population (47% favor and 41% oppose).

War in Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan remains unpopular in most of the nations surveyed. Majorities or pluralities in 16 of 22 countries believe U.S. and NATO forces should be withdrawn from Afghanistan as soon as possible. In six nations, majorities or pluralities say these troops should be kept there until the situation stabilizes.

Support for the war is especially low in predominantly Muslim nations, including Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan, and like Afghanistan, is facing serious security threats from the Taliban and other extremist groups. Only 7% of Pakistanis want the U.S. and NATO to keep troops in their neighboring country, while 65% call for a troop withdrawal and 28% offer no opinion.

Similarly, only 11% in NATO ally Turkey think coalition forces should remain in Afghanistan, while just 15% of Egyptians, 13% of Jordanians, and 21% of Lebanese hold this view. Even in Indonesia, where attitudes toward the U.S. and toward American foreign policy specifically are generally more positive than among other largely Muslim nations, only 19% want troops to stay.

The conflict is also unpopular elsewhere, including China (18% keep troops) and Japan (35%). On balance, however, South Koreans and Indians are more likely to favor retaining troops in Afghanistan than withdrawing them.

Americans are almost evenly divided on this issue: 48% want troops to stay, while 45% favor withdrawal. There are significant partisan differences, however: 65% of Republicans want to keep U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, compared with 50% of independents and only 36% of Democrats.

Overall, American support for the war has declined since last spring, when a 57%-majority favored staying in Afghanistan. But support is largely unchanged from a September 2009 Pew Global survey, conducted in the U.S. and in 13 European countries, when 50% said troops should stay until the situation is stabilized and 43% said they should be removed.⁴

A different trend is apparent among some of America’s key European allies. The fall 2009 survey found that support for the war had slipped in several major NATO nations between spring and fall 2009. But the current poll finds support rebounding a bit in Britain and France, where about half now say troops should stay, as well as in Spain and Poland, where roughly four-in-ten now hold this view.

Few See Stability Emerging in Iraq

Among the nations surveyed, there is relatively little optimism about Iraq’s political future.⁵ Majorities or pluralities in only seven of 22 nations believe efforts to establish a stable government in Iraq will definitely or probably succeed. In 12 nations, fewer people think these efforts will succeed than was the case last year; more people hold this view in two, while public opinion has remained essentially steady in six nations.

Turks, who share a border with Iraq, are the least optimistic: only 12% think efforts to establish a stable government will succeed. In Jordan, which also borders Iraq, the belief that these efforts will succeed has become much less common over the last year, decreasing from 50% to 36%. About four-in-ten hold this view in the two other Arab nations surveyed, Lebanon (43%) and Egypt (40%).

Western Europeans are consistently less optimistic about Iraq’s prospects than they were in 2009. The percentage saying a stable government will be established has declined significantly in Spain (-8 percentage points), Britain (-7 points), France (-7 points) and Germany (-7 points). There have been declines in other nations as well, including Nigeria (-22 points), China (-20 points), South Korea (-11 points), Argentina (-8 points) and Mexico (-8 points).

Americans are also slightly less hopeful about Iraq this year – 45% say they think efforts to create a stable government will be successful, down from 49% last year. Democrats (39% succeed) are less optimistic than independents (47%) or Republicans (51%).

American Religiosity

The survey finds a fair amount of cross-national agreement regarding one aspect of America’s image: its religiosity. When asked whether the U.S. is too religious or not religious enough, majorities or pluralities in 18 of 22 countries say it is not religious enough. This is especially true in all three Arab nations surveyed – Jordan (89%), Egypt (81%), and Lebanon (64%) – as well as in Indonesia (67%) and Pakistan (55%). Majorities also hold this view in India (57%), Brazil (55%), Mexico (56%), Kenya (53%) and Nigeria (57%).

The exceptions on this question are the economically advanced nations of Western Europe and Japan. In particular, the French are considerably more likely than others to see the U.S. as too religious (71%). More than four-in-ten feel this way in Britain (47%), Germany (46%) and Japan (42%). The Spanish are divided: 38% think the U.S. is too religious and 40% believe it is not religious enough.

Interestingly, the perception that the U.S. is an overly religious nation has become more common across all four Western European nations since the last time the Pew Global Attitudes Project asked this question in 2005, in the middle of the George W. Bush era.

Americans tend to disagree with their transatlantic allies on this question: 64% say their country is not religious enough, up from 58% in 2005. Republicans (81%) are especially likely to hold this view, although majorities of Democrats (60%) and independents (56%) agree.

As the global economy begins to rebound from the great recession, people around the world remain deeply concerned with the way things are going in their countries. Less than a third of the publics in most nations say they are satisfied with national conditions, as overwhelming numbers say their economies are in bad shape. And just about everywhere, governments are faulted for the way they are dealing with the economy.

Yet in most countries, especially in wealthier nations, President Barack Obama gets an enthusiastic thumbs up for the way he has handled the world economic crisis. The notable exception is the United States itself, where as many disapprove of their president’s approach to the global recession as approve.

This pattern is indicative of the broader picture of global opinion in 2010. President Barack Obama remains popular in most parts of the world, although his job approval rating in the U.S. has declined sharply since he first took office.¹ In turn, opinions of the U.S., which improved markedly in 2009 in response to Obama’s new presidency, also have remained far more positive than they were for much of George W. Bush’s tenure.

Ratings of America are overwhelmingly favorable in Western Europe. For example, 73% in France and 63% in Germany say they have a favorable view of the U.S. Moreover, ratings of America have improved sharply in Russia (57%), up 13 percentage points since 2009, in China (58%), up 11 points, and in Japan (66%), up 7 points. Opinions are also highly positive in other nations around the world including South Korea (79%), Poland (74%), and Brazil (62%).

The U.S. continues to receive positive marks in India, where 66% express a favorable opinion, although this is down from last year when 76% held this view. America’s overall image has also slipped slightly in Indonesia, although 59% still give the U.S. a positive rating in the world’s largest predominantly Muslim nation.

Publics of other largely Muslim countries continue to hold overwhelmingly negative views of the U.S. In both Turkey and Pakistan – where ratings for the U.S. have been consistently low in recent years – only 17% hold a positive opinion. Indeed, the new poll finds opinion of the U.S. slipping in some Muslim countries where opinion had edged up in 2009. In Egypt, America’s favorability rating dropped from 27% to 17% – the lowest percentage observed in any of the Pew Global Attitudes surveys conducted in that country since 2006.

Closer to home, a special follow-up poll found America’s favorable rating tumbling in Mexico in response to Arizona’s enactment of a law aimed at dealing with illegal immigration by giving police increased powers to stop and detain people who are suspected of being in the country illegally. Only 44% of Mexicans gave the U.S. a favorable rating following the signing of the bill, compared with 62% who did so before the bill passed.

The new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, conducted April 7 to May 8, also finds that overall opinion of Barack Obama remains broadly positive in most non-Muslim nations. In these countries, the national median confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs is 71%, and overall approval of his policies is 64%. In particular, huge percentages in Germany (88%), France (84%), Spain (76%) and Britain (64%) say they back the president’s policies. Similarly in the two African nations polled Obama gets high marks – 89% of Kenyans and 74% of Nigerians approve of his international policies.

Muslims Grow Disillusioned About Obama

Among Muslim publics – except in Indonesia where Obama lived for several years as a child –  the modest levels of confidence and approval observed in 2009 have slipped markedly. In Egypt the percentage of Muslims expressing confidence in Obama fell from 41% to 31% and in Turkey from 33% to 23%. Last year only 13% of Pakistani Muslims expressed confidence in Obama, but this year even fewer (8%) hold this view. And while views of Obama are still more positive than were attitudes toward President Bush among most Muslim publics, significant percentages continue to worry that the U.S. could become a military threat to their country.

Obamamania Tempers

In countries outside of the Muslim world, where the president’s ratings remain generally positive, his standing is not quite as high in 2010 as it was a year ago. The new poll found fewer in many Asian and Latin American countries saying they have confidence in Obama and approve of his policies generally, and even in Europe the large majorities responding positively to his foreign policy are not quite as large as they were in 2009.

Besides declines in overall confidence in some countries, strong endorsement of Obama eroded in countries where he remains broadly popular. Notably, in Britain, France, Germany, and Japan, fewer this year say they have a lot of confidence in Obama’s judgment regarding world affairs, while more say some confidence; still there was no increase in the percentage expressing no confidence in Obama in these countries.

Even though Obama has called the Arizona immigration law “misdirected,” it is nonetheless having a negative impact on views of him in Mexico. Prior to the law’s passage, 47% of Mexicans had confidence in Obama’s international leadership, but after passage only 36% held this view. More specifically, 54% of Mexicans say they disapprove of the way Barack Obama is dealing with the new law, and as many as 75% say that about Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

Disagreeing While Not Disapproving

Perhaps more significant than Obama’s small declines in ratings is that a generally positive view of him and the U.S. coexists with significant concerns about the American approach to world affairs and some key policies. This was not the case in the global surveys taken during President Bush’s terms in office, when specific criticism ran hand in hand with anti-American and anti-Bush sentiment.

Then, as now, one of the most frequent criticisms of U.S. foreign policy is that in its formulation it does not take into account the interests of other countries. This is the prevailing point of view in 15 of 21 countries outside of the U.S. Somewhat fewer people in most countries level this charge than did so during the Bush era. Currently, the median number saying that the U.S. acts unilaterally is 63%; in 2007 a median of 67% expressed that view.

Mixed Reactions to American Policies

In contrast to the Bush years, there is substantial majority support for U.S. anti-terrorism efforts in Britain, France, Spain and Germany. The new poll also found major increases in support of the American efforts in two countries that have been struggling with terrorism of late: Indonesia and Russia, where roughly seven-in-ten say they back the U.S. in this regard. Publics in India, Brazil, Kenya and Nigeria also express strong support for U.S.-led efforts to combat terrorism. However, opposition to these policies is particularly strong in most Muslim countries, and it is also substantial in many nations where the U.S. is fairly well-regarded, including Japan and South Korea.

The war in Afghanistan remains largely unpopular. In Germany, which has the third largest contingent of allied troops in Afghanistan, nearly six-in-ten people favor withdrawal from that country. Opinions are more divided in NATO allies Britain, France and Poland. In most other countries surveyed, majorities or pluralities also oppose the NATO effort.

Global opinion of Barack Obama’s dealing with world trouble spots parallels general opinion of U.S. policies in these areas. With regard to Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, the polling found as many countries approving as disapproving of his handling of these issues. However, the American president gets his worst ratings for dealing with another world problem for which the U.S. is often criticized: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Of 22 nations surveyed including the U.S., in only three nations do majorities approve of Obama’s handling of the dispute: France, Nigeria and Kenya.

In sharp contrast to criticisms and mixed reviews of Obama’s handling of geo-political problems, Obama not only gets good grades for the way he has handled the world economic crisis, but also for dealing with climate change. In most countries, people approve of Obama’s climate change efforts. France is a notable exception, with a 52%-majority disapproving, despite the country’s approval of his other policies.

Modest Economic Optimism

Global publics are mostly glum about the way things are going in their countries. And, despite signs of economic recovery in many parts of the world, people nearly everywhere, with the notable exception of China, India and Brazil, complain that their national economy is doing poorly. Moreover, there is little optimism about the economic future. And in the wake of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, more Europeans say integration has hurt their economies, although overall ratings for the EU remain favorable.

In 20 of 22 countries surveyed, less than half the population is satisfied with the direction of the country, including only 30% of Americans. Lebanese (11%) are the least satisfied. Only in China does an overwhelming portion of the population (87%) express satisfaction with national conditions. Overall, assessments are up in nine countries and down in only five.

Few people are happy with the current state of their national economy. In only four countries: China (91%), Brazil (62%), India (57%) and Poland (53%) do publics say economic conditions are good. All four of these nations weathered the global recession relatively well. Economic gloom is most widespread in Japan, France, Spain and Lebanon, where roughly one-in-eight believes the economy is doing well. But there are signs that an economic recovery may be taking hold. In ten of the countries surveyed, people’s assessment of the economy improved significantly from 2009 to 2010. Only in four nations did it recede.

Still, global publics are taking a wait-and-see attitude about the economic future. In only seven of 22 societies does a majority of those surveyed think economic conditions will improve over the next year. The economic bulls in the survey are the Chinese (87%), Nigerians (76%) and Brazilians (75%). The Japanese (14%) are the most bearish.

Disgruntled people generally fault their government for their country’s economic troubles, although many also blame banks and themselves; few blame the U.S. The most satisfied with their government’s economic performance are also those who have experienced some of the strongest growth in the last year. Roughly nine-in-ten Chinese (91%) say Beijing is doing a good job. Indians (85%) and Brazilians (76%) are also quite pleased with their government’s economic management.

Despite some of the worst recent economic conditions since the Depression, support for free markets remains strong, with some of the most tepid backing in Argentina (40%) and Japan (43%). And people continue to favor trade and globalization, with the weakest – but still majority – support in Turkey (64%) and the U.S. (66%).

China Ascendant

A growing number of people around the globe see China’s economy as the most powerful in the world. Looking at the 20 countries surveyed in each of the last three years, China’s economic star keeps rising. The median number naming China as the world’s leading economy has risen from 20% to 31%. Meanwhile, the percentage naming the U.S. has dropped from 50% to 43%. The publics of the countries surveyed vary in their views of China’s growing economic clout. In the West, opinion is divided in Britain, while majorities in Germany, France and Spain and a plurality in the U.S. see China’s economic strength as a bad thing for their country.

The Pakistanis (79%), Indonesians (61%) and Japanese (61%) regard China’s rising economic power as a positive development. Indians and to a lesser extent South Koreans do not. Latin American, Middle Eastern and African publics see their countries benefiting from China’s economic growth. The Turks (18%) overwhelmingly see it the other way.

China is clearly the most self-satisfied country in the survey. Nine-in-ten Chinese are happy with the direction of their country (87%), feel good about the current state of their economy (91%) and are optimistic about China’s economic future (87%). Moreover, about three-in-four Chinese (76%) think the U.S. takes into account Chinese interests when it makes foreign policy.

Europeans on Europe

In the midst of growing economic concerns in Europe, there is little indication of a broad public backlash against the European Union. Large majorities in Poland, Spain, France and Germany and nearly half in Britain remain supportive of the Brussels-based institution. And European publics continue to have a positive view of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is well-regarded in Britain, Spain and France. In fact, as in the past, Merkel gets better ratings in France than in Germany itself for her leadership in world affairs. And French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ratings are, if anything, somewhat better in Germany than in France. The French leader is less well-regarded in Britain and Spain, but that has been so in previous surveys.

However, Europeans are divided in their views about major economic issues.² They are supportive of the euro, but disagree about the merits of European economic integration and the bailing-out of EU member countries in trouble. Opinion of Greece, the recipient of EU financial aid, is on balance positive in Britain and France. But, a majority of Germans express an unfavorable opinion of it.

At a time when NATO is developing a new strategic concept, majorities in major Europeans nations surveyed continue to hold a favorable view of it, as do most Americans. However, many fewer Germans express a positive assessment of it currently (57%) than did so in 2009 (73%). Germans who express opposition to the NATO effort in Afghanistan are far less likely to hold positive views of this defense organization (45%) than do those who back it (76%). This is also true, but to a lesser extent, in the other EU countries surveyed as well as in the U.S.

Limited Support for Extremism

Support for terrorism remains low among the Muslim publics surveyed. Many fewer Muslims in 2010 than in the middle of the past decade say that suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilians are justified to defend Islam from its enemies. However, the new poll does show a modest increase over the past year in support for suicide bombing being often or sometimes justifiable, with a rise in Egypt from 15% to 20% and in Jordan from 12% to 20%. Still, these are below the levels of support observed mid-decade.

Overall attitudes toward Osama bin Laden have followed a similar trend line among the Muslim publics surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project. Views of the al Qaeda leader have been far more negative in recent years than they were mid-decade. And the poll shows considerably less positive regard for him in Jordan than was apparent in 2009. Support for bin Laden has also declined among Nigerian Muslims, although 48% still express confidence in the al Qaeda leader.

Iran and Its Nuclear Weapons Program

Among the nations surveyed, there is widespread opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and considerable support for tougher economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic. For instance, more than three-quarters of those who oppose the Iranian nuclear program in Spain (79%), Britain (78%), Germany (77%) and France (76%), as well as 67% in Russia and 58% in China, approve of tougher sanctions. Many are also willing to consider using military force to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities, including about half of those who oppose Iran’s program in Poland, Germany, Spain, and Britain, and roughly six-in-ten in France.

Still, the Pew Global Attitudes survey foreshadows potential tension between the U.S. and other leading powers over what to do about the Iranian nuclear program. Among those who oppose Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons, Americans are more likely than Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, Indians or Russians to approve of economic sanctions against Iran and to support taking military action to stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear armaments.

Pakistan is the only country in which a majority (58%) favors Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Elsewhere among largely Muslim nations, public opinion on balance opposes a nuclear-armed Iran, although significant numbers of Jordanians (39%) and Lebanese (34%) do want Iran to have such capabilities. In predominantly Muslim countries, those who oppose Iranian nuclear weapons tend to favor tougher economic sanctions, and although fewer support using the military to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing these weapons, majorities or pluralities in four of the six countries surveyed favor this option.

Views on Climate Change

As in 2009, the new poll found substantial majorities of the publics in most countries seeing global climate change as a serious problem. The intensity of concern about this issue is less evident in the U.S., China, Russia, Britain and France than it is among the publics of other major carbon-emitting nations, such as Germany, India, Japan and South Korea.

The publics of the 22 nations surveyed are more divided about paying increased prices to combat climate change. Willingness to do so is nearly universal in China and clear majorities in India, South Korea, Japan, Turkey and Germany also favor consumers paying higher bills. Most people express opposition in the U.S., France, Russia and many of the less affluent countries surveyed, while views are more mixed in Britain, Spain and Brazil.

Also of Note:

• Somewhat more Americans than in 2005 (35% vs. 26%) think the U.S. is well-liked around the world. However, fully 60% think the U.S. is generally disliked. As in 2005, only Americans and Turks are more likely to say their country is disliked than to say it is liked.

• Americans are no more isolationist than Europeans. Asked whether their country should deal with its own problems and let others take care of themselves, 46% of Americans agree, as do 44% of Germans and 49% of British. The French are the most isolationist; 65% oppose helping other nations cope with their challenges.

• But Americans are among the least supportive of international trade among the 22 nations surveyed; nevertheless 66% think it is good for their country.

• While most Europeans and Japanese think Americans are too religious, people in the rest of the world – in 18 of 22 countries – think Americans are not religious enough. This includes the U.S., where 64% say their country should be more religious. Criticism of American secularism is particularly strong in the three Arab nations surveyed.

• Confidence in Russian President Dmitri Medvedev is on the rise, with his assessment up in all five EU member nations surveyed. The strongest backing is in Germany (50%) and the greatest improvement in Poland, where confidence in Medvedev has more than doubled in the last year, to 36%.

Ratings of Obama have declined somewhat since he first took office, even in such countries as China and Japan, where majorities continue to express confidence in the U.S. president. In France, Germany and Britain, where overall confidence in Obama is virtually unchanged from last year, fewer now say they have a lot of confidence in the U.S. president when it comes to international affairs.

When asked to give their overall evaluations of Obama’s foreign policies, strong majorities in many countries, including in the four Western European countries surveyed, approve. Still, support for Obama’s international policies is far less widespread than it was when he first took office. The percentage who approve of the U.S. president’s policies has declined by double digits in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, China, India, Argentina, Mexico and Nigeria.

Opinions about Obama’s handling of specific policy areas are generally more negative than overall evaluations of his international policies. Obama receives especially low marks for the way he is dealing with the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but many also disapprove of his handling of Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran. In contrast, majorities or pluralities in most countries approve of the way Obama is dealing with the global economic crisis and climate change.

Continued Confidence in Obama

President Obama continues to receive high marks in Western Europe. Nine-in-ten in Germany say they have at least some confidence in the U.S. president to do the right thing in world affairs, as do more than eight-in-ten in France (87%) and Britain (84%). Obama is also popular in Spain, where 69% express confidence in him. A similar percentage of Americans (65%) share this view.

Ratings of Obama are also overwhelmingly positive in Japan (76%), South Korea (75%), India (73%) and Indonesia (67%). Meanwhile, a much narrower majority in China (52%) expresses at least some confidence in the American president.

As was the case last year, Obama enjoys his most favorable ratings among the two African publics surveyed. Kenyans are nearly unanimous in their views of Obama – 95% have confidence in him when it comes to world affairs. Similarly, 84% of Nigerians have a lot or some confidence in Obama.

Views of Obama are more mixed in Eastern Europe and Latin America. In Poland, six-in-ten express confidence in Obama, while 27% say they have little or no confidence in the U.S. president. Russians are nearly evenly divided; 41% have confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs and 37% say they do not.

A majority of Brazilians (56%) say they have at least some confidence in Obama, a view shared by nearly half of Argentines (49%). Mexicans are evenly split; 43% express confidence in Obama and 43% do not.

Mexican opinion of Obama turned more negative following the signing of a controversial immigration bill in Arizona on April 23. Despite Obama’s criticism of the Arizona bill, more than half (52%) of Mexicans who were interviewed after its signing said they did not have much confidence in the U.S. president; 36% said they had at least some confidence in him. In contrast, nearly half (47%) of those who were interviewed prior to the signing of the Arizona legislation said they had at least some confidence in Obama; 38% did not.

In the largely Muslim countries surveyed, with the exception of Indonesia, opinions of Barack Obama are decidedly negative, but they remain, for the most part, more positive than views of his predecessor, George W. Bush. Only 8% of Pakistanis have confidence in the American president to do the right thing in world affairs; 60% lack confidence in Obama. Only about one-quarter of Jordanians (26%) and Turks (23%) and one-third of Egyptians give Obama positive ratings. And in Lebanon, where opinions of Obama are somewhat more positive than in other predominantly Muslim countries – 43% have confidence in him – more than half (56%) say they have little or no confidence.

Lebanese views of Obama reflect a religious and sectarian divide. Majorities of Christians (57%) and Sunni Muslims (61%) in that country express at least some confidence in the U.S. president to do the right thing in international affairs. By comparison, just 7% of Lebanese Shia share this view while more than nine-in-ten (93%) do not have confidence in Obama.

Confidence in Obama has declined in some predominantly Muslim countries since he first took office, dropping 10 percentage points in Turkey, 9 points in Egypt, and 5 points in Jordan. In Lebanon, confidence in Obama has fallen considerably among the Shia population, which already offered mostly negative views of the U.S. president in 2009 (7% have confidence in him vs. 26% in 2009). Lebanese Christians, however, are now more likely to say they have confidence in Obama (57% vs. 46% in 2009), while opinions among that country’s Sunnis are largely unchanged (61% vs. 65%).

Opinions are also more negative in other parts of the world. Just about half of Argentines (49%) express at least some support for the U.S. president; in 2009, a solid majority (61%) shared that view. And while confidence in Obama remains high in Japan, fewer express positive views than did so a year ago (76% vs. 85% in 2009).

Obama also enjoys less support at home. About two-thirds (65%) of Americans express at least some confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs, down from 74% a year ago. This reflects primarily a loss of support among Republicans, who were split in their views of the then-newly-elected president in 2009 – about half (48%) said they had at least some confidence in Obama to do the right thing in international affairs and 50% said they had little or no confidence in him. Today, just 32% of Republicans have confidence in the president, while 68% say they have little or no confidence in him.

Democrats are as likely as they were last year to say they have at least some confidence in Obama, but considerably fewer now say they have a lot of confidence in him (56% today vs. 74% in 2009). The decline in overall and strong support for Obama has been less dramatic among independents.

In Western Europe, where overall support for Obama is unchanged, fewer give the American president the enthusiastic endorsement they gave him when he first took office. In Germany, 46% say they have a lot of confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs, compared with 56% who expressed similar levels of support in 2009. In France, a quarter (25%) now say they have a lot of confidence in Obama, down from 34% who said the same about a year ago. And in Britain, 36% express similarly intense levels of confidence in the U.S. president in the current poll; 43% did so in 2009.

Overall Views of Obama’s Policies

Solid majorities in Western Europe offer positive overall evaluations of Obama’s international policies. More than eight-in-ten in Germany (88%) and France (84%) say they approve of Obama’s foreign policies, as do 76% in Spain and 64% in Britain. In contrast, a much narrower majority of Americans (55%) endorse the president’s international policies.

Obama’s international policies also enjoy overwhelming backing in the African countries surveyed – 89% in Kenya and 74% in Nigeria approve. Support is also high in Japan (72% approve), South Korea (70%), Indonesia (65%), Poland (64%), Brazil (59%) and India (57%).

With the exception of Indonesia, few in predominantly Muslim countries offer positive evaluations of Obama’s international policies. Just 9% in Pakistan say they approve of Obama’s policies overall; 48% disapprove. Similarly, fewer than one-in-five in Jordan (15%), Egypt (17%) and Turkey (17%) support Obama’s foreign policies. Opinions are mixed in Lebanon (44% approve and 49% disapprove). Six-in-ten Lebanese Christians and Sunnis give positive evaluations, compared with just 7% of Shia Muslims in that country.

Views of Obama’s international policies among publics in Muslim countries are considerably more negative than they were a year ago, when people in those countries already expressed less positive views than did those in other parts of the world. In Egypt, the percentage who approve of Obama’s policies has declined 21 percentage points since 2009. Double-digit drops in approval of Obama’s foreign policies are also evident in Turkey (-17 points), Jordan (-12 points) and among Lebanon’s Shia population (-19 points).

Opinions of Obama’s policies are also decidedly more negative in other parts of the world. For example, fewer than four-in-ten (37%) in Argentina now say they approve of the U.S. president’s foreign policies; soon after Obama took office, 57% of Argentines shared that view. In China, where 57% approved of Obama’s foreign policies in 2009, just 44% say the same now. And even in Britain, France and the U.S., where majorities continue to express support for Obama’s international policies, fewer do so compared with last year.

Obama’s Handling of War Zones

Opinions about Obama’s job performance with respect to the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan are far more negative than overall evaluations of his international policies. For example, Western Europeans, who give Obama high ratings for his policies in general, offer more mixed views when asked how the American president is handling Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Germany, the same number (46%) approves as disapproves of the way Obama is handling Afghanistan, and opinions are also nearly evenly split on his handling of Iraq (47% approve and 42% disapprove). The Spanish public is also divided in its views of Obama’s job performance on Iraq and Afghanistan; 39% approve and the same number disapprove of his handling of Iraq, while just slightly more approve (44%) than disapprove (37%) of his handling of Afghanistan.

Of the Western European publics surveyed, the French are the most supportive of Obama’s handling of Iraq (57% approve) and Afghanistan (55%). Slim majorities in Britain approve of the way Obama is dealing with the two war zones (52%), as does a similar share of Americans (51%).

Obama receives overwhelmingly low ratings from publics in predominantly Muslim countries for his job performance on Iraq and Afghanistan. Just 4% in Turkey approve of how Obama is handling Iraq; 68% disapprove. His ratings on Afghanistan are similarly low; 5% of Turks approve and 62% disapprove of the way Obama is handling things in that country. Even in Indonesia, the only Muslim country where a majority offers positive overall evaluations of Obama’s international policies, 52% say they disapprove of the way Obama is handling Iraq and 53% say the same about his handling of Afghanistan.

Support for Obama’s policies in Iraq and Afghanistan is also low in the Latin American countries surveyed. Only about one-in-ten in Argentina approve of Obama’s job performance on Iraq (10%) and Afghanistan (11%). And more than twice as many Mexicans disapprove as approve of Obama’s handling of the two war zones. Obama’s ratings are somewhat higher in Brazil, but more in that country disapprove than approve of the way he is dealing with Iraq (48% vs. 29%) and Afghanistan (43% vs. 33%).

Obama’s Handling of the Middle East

Opinions about Obama’s job performance on two important issues in the Middle East – Iran and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians – are also mixed in Western Europe. A solid majority in France (59%) approves of the way Obama is handling Iran. A much smaller share in Germany (49%), Britain (48%) and Spain (43%) share this view; still, more in those countries approve than disapprove of the way Obama is dealing with Iran.

When asked for their opinions about how Obama is handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, however, a slim majority of the French (51%) expresses support for the U.S. president and just slightly more Germans approve (44%) than disapprove (40%) of the way Obama is handling the issue. A 45% plurality in Spain disapproves of Obama’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while the British are about evenly divided – 35% approve and 34% disapprove.

Americans are also divided in their opinions of the president’s handling of the Middle East. About as many approve (44%) as disapprove (41%) of the job Obama is doing on Iran. And when asked about Obama’s handling of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, 39% say they approve and 41% say they disapprove of the job he is doing.

Like his job performance on Iraq and Afghanistan, ratings for Obama’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are extremely low in predominantly Muslim countries, as are his ratings on Iran. Nine-in-ten Lebanese express disapproval of the way Obama is dealing with the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, as do 88% of Egyptians and 84% of Jordanians. Clear majorities in Turkey (66%) and Indonesia (56%) also disapprove of Obama’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Publics across the Muslim world also express disapproval of how Obama is dealing with Iran. In Jordan, Obama’s approval with respect to Iran is as low as his approval on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians (14% approve and 84% disapprove). Views of Obama’s handling of Iran also mirror views of his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Turkey (62% disapprove), Indonesia (53% disapprove) and Pakistan (52% disapprove).

In Lebanon, however, Obama’s handling of Iran receives far broader support than his handling of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians; 43% approve and 54% disapprove of the way he is dealing with Iran. Majorities of Lebanese Christians (62%) and Sunnis (61%) approve of Obama’s handling of Iran. However, Shia Muslims in Lebanon are nearly unanimous in their criticism; 98% disapprove and just 1% approve of Obama’s handling of Iran.

Obama’s Handling of the Economic Crisis and Climate Change

When asked for their opinions of Barack Obama’s handling of the global economic crisis, majorities or pluralities in 15 of 22 countries surveyed say they approve of the job the American president is doing. Kenyans and Nigerians are the most supportive of Obama’s handling of the economic crisis; 89% of Kenyans and 80% of Nigerians approve of it.

In Western Europe, about seven-in-ten (72%) Germans approve of the job Obama is doing on the economic crisis, as do 66% in France, 64% in Britain and 58% in Spain. Obama’s handling of the economic crisis also has the support of majorities in Indonesia (75%), South Korea (71%), Japan (62%), Poland (60%), India (58%) and Brazil (56%).

Americans are evenly split – 46% approve and the same number disapproves of the job the president is doing in dealing with the global economic crisis. The president’s handling of the crisis has the support of seven-in-ten Democrats, but just 18% of Republicans approve of the job he is doing. Opinions are split among independents – 44% approve and 47% disapprove of the way Obama is dealing with the global economic crisis.

Obama’s handling of the economic crisis is viewed negatively in most of the Muslim countries surveyed. About eight-in-ten Jordanians (81%) and Egyptians (80%) disapprove of his performance, as do 53% in Lebanon, 51% in Turkey, and a 43% plurality in Pakistan.

Publics in the largely Muslim countries express somewhat less negative views of Obama’s handling of climate change, but majorities in Jordan (67%) and Egypt (64%) disapprove of the job he is doing. More also disapprove than approve in Turkey (43% vs. 15%) and Pakistan (34% vs. 17%), but many in those countries do not offer an opinion. Only in Indonesia and Lebanon do majorities offer praise for the way Obama is dealing with climate change (72% and 53%, respectively).

Outside of the Muslim world, Obama receives his highest ratings on climate change in Japan (71% approve of the job he is doing), Nigeria (71%), Kenya (69%), South Korea (65%) and Germany (65%). Smaller majorities in Poland (56%) and Spain (51%) share that view.

A transatlantic consensus exists with regard to the threat posed by extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, even though Americans and Western Europeans generally disagree about what policy to pursue in Afghanistan.

A 14-nation survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, conducted Aug. 27 through Sept. 24, finds Americans expressing the greatest concerns about the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan: roughly three-in-four (76%) say that this would be a major threat to the well-being of the U.S.¹

However, solid majorities throughout Western Europe also see this as a major threat to their nations, including 72% of Italians and at least six-in-ten in France (66%), Germany (65%), Spain (64%) and Britain (60%).

Concern is also shared about the potential danger from a Pakistan controlled by extremists. More than six-in-ten Italian (68%), French (67%), British (65%) and American (64%) respondents say this would be a major threat to their countries. Slightly smaller majorities hold this view in Spain (59%) and Germany (57%).

Eastern Europeans are generally less concerned than those in the West about these potential dangers.

Fewer than half in the eight Eastern European countries surveyed believe extremist takeovers of Afghanistan or Pakistan would present a major threat. Within the region, Poles, Bulgarians and Czechs express the greatest concerns — more than four-in-ten in these countries say extremist control of Afghanistan or Pakistan would pose a major threat.

There is less concern among Lithuanians, Slovaks and Hungarians, as well as in the two nations surveyed that are not NATO members: Russia and Ukraine.

The War in Afghanistan

While both Americans and Western Europeans generally believe the “Af-Pak” region potentially poses significant threats to national security, they do not share a common view about the deployment of military forces in Afghanistan.

Half of Americans say U.S. and NATO troops should remain in Afghanistan until the situation has stabilized, while 43% want them removed as soon as possible. By contrast, majorities in France (61%), Italy (56%), Germany (54%) and Britain (54%) say troops should be withdrawn, as do roughly half in Spain (48%).

Throughout Eastern Europe, majorities or pluralities want U.S. and NATO forces out of Afghanistan, including 64% of Poles, as well as 65% in Russia and 62% in Ukraine.

More people in several nations now favor withdrawal than was the case in the spring. This is especially true in France, where a Pew Global Attitudes poll conducted in May and June found that 49% favored removing troops, compared with 61% today. Smaller increases have taken place in Poland (+7 percentage points), Germany (+7), Britain (+6) and the U.S. (+5).

Unsurprisingly, people who believe a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan would be a serious national security threat are more likely to endorse keeping troops there.

However, even among Western Europeans who consider this a major threat, opinion leans toward a troop withdrawal. In all Western European nations surveyed, majorities or pluralities of those who say a Taliban takeover would be a major threat nonetheless want troops removed. Conversely, among Americans who see this as a major threat, 54% want to keep forces in Afghanistan, while 41% favor a withdrawal.

For more information see the topline results.