Despite economic difficulties and political uncertainty, Egyptians remain upbeat about the course of the nation and prospects for progress. Amid rancorous debates over the presidential election and the shape of a new constitution, most Egyptians continue to want democracy, with two-in-three saying it is the best form of government.

Egyptians also want Islam to play a major role in society, and most believe the Quran should shape the country’s laws, although a growing minority expresses reservations about the increasing influence of Islam in politics. When asked which country is the better model for the role of religion in government, Turkey or Saudi Arabia, 61% say the latter. However, most also endorse specific democratic rights and institutions that do not exist in Saudi Arabia, such as free speech, a free press, and equal rights for women.

Seven-in-ten Egyptians express a favorable view of the Muslim Brotherhood, down just slightly from 75% a year ago. Most (56%) also have a positive opinion of the Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the largest party in the newly elected parliament. The more conservative al-Nour fares less well: 44% have a favorable and 44% an unfavorable view of the Salafist party. Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a Salafist leader who was recently disqualified as a presidential candidate, gets somewhat better ratings (52% positive, 42% negative).

Presidential contender Amr Moussa receives overwhelmingly positive marks, with 81% expressing a positive opinion of the former Foreign Minister and Arab League chief. Meanwhile, 58% have a favorable view of moderate Islamist presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh.

The April 6^th Movement, a loose organization of mostly young and secular activists that played a key role in the demonstrations that forced Hosni Mubarak from office, is rated favorably by 68% of Egyptians. However, the Egyptian Bloc, a mostly secular coalition of political parties, is not popular – just 38% assign it a positive rating.

While many have criticized the military in recent months for its handling of the post-Mubarak transition, it continues to be largely well-regarded. Three-in-four Egyptians believe the military is having a good influence on the country, and 63% hold a positive opinion of the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF). And while favorable ratings for SCAF Chairman Mohamed Tantawi have declined significantly from last year’s 90%, they remain high at 63%.

Most Egyptians support civilian control of the military, but other key institutional features of democracy are considered higher priorities. Roughly six-in-ten (62%) say civilian control is an important priority, but only 24% consider it very important, essentially unchanged from 27% in 2011. In contrast, 81% believe a fair judiciary is very important, similar to last year’s 82%. Views toward other key democratic rights and institutions also show little change since last year.

These are among the principal findings from a nationwide survey of Egypt by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 1,000 adults in Egypt between March 19 and April 10, 2012. The poll finds little change in Egyptian perceptions of the United States. Only 19% offer a positive rating of the U.S. and just 29% express confidence in President Obama. The survey also finds ongoing opposition to the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel: 61% prefer to annul the treaty, up from 54% a year ago.

Desire for Democracy, But Also Order and Growth

Egyptians continue to voice confidence in democracy. Two-thirds consider it preferable to any other kind of government, while just 19% say in some circumstances a non-democratic form of government may be best, and just 13% believe it doesn’t really matter what kind of government rules the country. Roughly six-in-ten (61%) think democracy is best-suited for solving the country’s problems, while only 33% say a leader with a strong hand would be better equipped for dealing with these challenges.

At the same time, it is clear that Egyptians also want law and order: six-in-ten consider this a very important priority. And the economy remains a major concern. About eight-in-ten (81%) say improving economic conditions should be a top priority. Just 27% describe the country’s economic situation as good, down from 34% in 2011. Still, on balance, Egyptians remain optimistic about their economic future: 50% expect the economy to improve over the next 12 months, only 20% think it will worsen, and 28% believe it will stay about the same.

A growing number of Egyptians sees Islam as playing a major role in the political life of the country – 66% currently compared with 47% in 2010. For the most part, those who believe Islam is playing a large role see this as good for the country, but more disagree with that view this year than last. Conflicting views about the role of religion in politics are also seen in the significant numbers who say Saudi Arabia is the best model for Egypt, yet endorse key features of democracy. Among those who choose Saudi Arabia over Turkey as the best model for Egypt, two-thirds also say democracy is preferable to any other kind of government. More than six-in-ten say it is very important to live in a country with a free press (64%), honest multiparty elections (63%), and freedom of speech (61%).

U.S. Image Still Negative

America’s image remains overwhelmingly negative – only 19% offer a favorable opinion of the U.S., basically unchanged from 20% in 2011. But a large majority does not see the U.S. as having a major influence on political developments in Egypt.

Egyptian opinions about President Obama have grown steadily more negative over the course of his presidency. In a 2009 poll conducted a few months after he took office, Egyptians were divided over the new American president: 42% expressed a great deal or some confidence that he would do the right thing in world affairs; 47% said they had little or no confidence.¹ Today, 29% have confidence in Obama, while 69% lack confidence.

Although the U.S. has sent billions of dollars in aid to Egypt over the last few decades, few believe it is helping the country. Indeed, roughly six-in-ten say both American military and economic aid are having a mostly negative impact on Egypt.

Despite these negative sentiments, a majority of Egyptians says either they want the U.S.-Egypt relationship to stay about as close as it has been in recent years (35%) or become even closer (20%), while 38% would like to see relations become less close.

Overall, Egyptians believe the U.S. exerts a limited influence on their country’s tumultuous politics. When asked whether the American response to Egypt’s political situation is having a positive or negative impact, 62% say it is having neither.

Moreover, few believe there is a hidden Western hand behind the country’s ongoing protests. Just 21% say the demonstrations are a result of Western efforts to destabilize Egypt, while 74% think the protests reflect genuine Egyptian discontent with the country’s political situation.

Also of Note

• Six-in-ten say the People’s Assembly, Egypt’s newly elected lower house of parliament, is having a positive influence on the country, while 39% believe it is having a negative effect.
• Four-in-ten believe that under an FJP-led government women will have more rights than they had in the past, while 27% say they will have fewer rights. Roughly three-in-ten (31%) think women will have about the same rights as in the past.
• Views toward one-time presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei have soured. In 2011, 57% held a positive view of the former International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) chief, while just 39% rated him negatively. Now opinions are divided: 48% favorable, 50% unfavorable.
• Fayza Abul Naga, the Egyptian Cabinet official who led efforts to prosecute American NGO representatives (as well as representatives from Egyptian and other foreign NGOs) enjoys little popularity. Abul Naga, who is a holdover from the Mubarak era, receives a favorable rating from 35% of Egyptians, while 50% offer a negative assessment.

Despite these decidedly negative attitudes, most Egyptians want their country’s relationship with the U.S. to stay about as close as it is currently or become even closer. About four-in-ten (38%) would like to see a more distant relationship between the two countries.

While the conflict over American NGOs’ democracy-promotion efforts in Egypt severely strained bilateral relations with the U.S., few Egyptians believe that Western powers are behind the country’s ongoing protests.

Poor Ratings for the U.S. and Obama

The tremendous political changes that have taken place in Egypt since the end of the Mubarak era have not led to a major shift in perceptions of the U.S. Roughly eight-in-ten Egyptians (79%) express unfavorable attitudes toward the U.S., with just 19% saying favorable. This is essentially unchanged from 2011, when 79% were unfavorable and 20% were favorable.

President Obama also receives low marks from most Egyptians. About seven-in-ten (69%) say they do not have confidence in him to do the right thing in world affairs; just 29% have a lot or some confidence in his actions. There has been a steady decrease in confidence in Obama since 2009, when Egyptian opinions about the new American leader were nearly split, with 42% expressing confidence and 47% saying not much or none at all.

Views toward President Obama have become considerably more negative over the last year among younger Egyptians. In 2011, 44% of 18-29 year-olds had a lot or some confidence in President Obama. Today, just 24% say the same. Attitudes toward the U.S. leader have remained constant among other age groups since 2011.

Negligible Impact of U.S. on Political Situation

Most Egyptians (62%) believe the U.S. has had neither a good nor bad influence on the political situation in their country. Roughly one-in-five (21%) say the impact is negative, while 15% believe it is positive.

Despite some claims that American NGO’s were trying to stir up discontent, only 21% of Egyptians say recent protests are due to attempts by Western powers to destabilize the country. Instead, a broad majority (74%) believes they are the result of genuine Egyptian dissatisfaction with the current political situation.

Little Support for U.S. Aid

There is no consensus among Egyptians as to whether American financial assistance to their country is primarily economic or military. A plurality (34%) believes the aid is mostly to help Egypt develop economically, while 23% say the aid is mostly military. Nearly three-in-ten (28%) believe it is divided equally between economic and military assistance, and 14% offer no opinion.

Both types of American aid are viewed negatively by Egyptians. About six-in-ten (61%) say U.S. military aid has a harmful influence on Egypt, while just 11% believe its impact is positive, and 25% say it has no impact. Similarly, 61% consider U.S. economic aid harmful, while the remainder of the public is split between positive views (21%) and the belief that the aid has no impact (17%).

Still, Less Than Half Want a More Distant Relationship

Despite the broadly negative opinions toward the U.S., less than half of the Egyptian public (38%) wants the relationship between the two nations to be less close. The remainder of the public either wants the relationship to be about as close as it is now (35%) or closer (20%).

Opinions on this question are very similar to 2011, when 43% of Egyptians said they would like to be less close to the U.S, 40% about as close, and 15% closer.

Attitudes toward the bilateral relationship are strongly related to views about American aid. Those who believe economic and military aid have a harmful impact on Egypt are significantly more likely to say they prefer a more distant relationship. For example, among those who say economic aid has a negative impact, 51% want a less close relationship with the U.S., compared with 19% of those who think economic assistance is having a positive impact.

Over the last year, Egyptians age 50 and older have become less negative about their country’s future relationship with the U.S. In 2011, 45% of the older age group wanted a less close relationship, compared with 32% today. There has been no significant change on this question among Egyptians under 50.

Treaty With Israel

Most Egyptians favor overturning the 1979 peace treaty in which Egypt became the first Arab country to formally recognize Israel. Roughly six-in-ten (61%) want to annul the treaty, up slightly from last year (54%). Just under a third (32%) want to maintain it.

Opposition to the treaty has grown significantly over the last year among young people and the highly educated. Support for annulling the treaty has increased by 14 points among 18-29 year-olds and by 18 points among the college-educated.

In most regions of the world, opinion of the United States continues to be more favorable than it was in the Bush years, but U.S. image now faces a new challenge: doubts about America’s superpower status. In 15 of 22 nations, the balance of opinion is that China either will replace or already has replaced the United States as the world’s leading superpower. This view is especially widespread in Western Europe, where at least six-in-ten in France (72%), Spain (67%), Britain (65%) and Germany (61%) see China overtaking the U.S.

Majorities in Pakistan, the Palestinian territories, Mexico and China itself also foresee China supplanting the U.S. as the world’s dominant power. In most countries for which there are trends, the view that China will overtake the U.S. has increased substantially over the past two years, including by 10 or more percentage points in Spain, France, Pakistan, Britain, Jordan, Israel, Poland and Germany. Among Americans, the percentage saying that China will eventually overshadow or has already overshadowed the U.S. has increased from 33% in 2009 to 46% in 2011.

At least some of this changed view of the global balance of power may reflect the fact that the U.S. is increasingly seen as trailing China economically. This is especially the case in Western Europe, where the percentage naming China as the top economic power has increased by double digits in Spain, Germany, Britain and France since 2009.

In other parts of the globe, fewer are convinced that China is the world’s leading economic power. Majorities or pluralities in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America still name the U.S. as the world’s dominant economic power. In the Middle East, Palestinians and Israelis agree that America continues to sit atop the global economy, while in Jordan and Lebanon more see China in this role. Notably, by an almost 2-to-1 margin the Chinese still believe the U.S. is the world’s dominant economic power.

These are among the key findings from a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, conducted March 18 to May 15.¹  The survey also finds that, in the U.S., France, Germany, Spain and Japan, those who see China as the world’s leading economic power believe this is a bad thing. By contrast, those who name the U.S. tend to think it is good that America is still the top global economy. In developing countries those who believe China has already overtaken the U.S. economically generally view this as a positive development. Meanwhile, in China, those who believe the U.S. is still the world’s leading economy tend to see this as a negative.

Compared with reaction to China’s economic rise, global opinion is more consistently negative when it comes to the prospect of China equaling the U.S. militarily. Besides the Chinese themselves, only in Pakistan, Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Kenya do majorities see an upside to China matching the U.S. in terms of military power. Meanwhile, the prevailing view in Japan and India is that it would not be in their country’s interest if China were to equal the U.S. militarily; majorities across Western and Eastern Europe, and in Turkey and Israel, share this view.

U.S. Image Largely Favorable

Despite the view in many countries that China either has or will surpass the U.S. as the leading superpower, opinion of America remains favorable, on balance. The median percentage offering a positive assessment of the U.S. is 60% among the 23 countries surveyed. The U.S. receives high marks in Western Europe, where at least six-in-ten in

France, Spain, Germany and Britain rate the U.S. positively. Opinion of the U.S. is also consistently favorable across Eastern Europe, as well as in Japan, Kenya, Israel, Brazil and Mexico.

As in years past, U.S. image continues to suffer among predominantly Muslim countries, with the exception of Indonesia, where a majority expresses positive views of the U.S. One-in-five or fewer in Egypt, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Pakistan and Turkey view America favorably. In Lebanon, opinion of the U.S. is split, reflecting a religious and sectarian divide; the country’s Shia community has overwhelmingly negative views of America, while Lebanese Sunnis and Christians are more positive.

Views of the U.S. in the Muslim world reflect, at least in part, opposition to the war in Afghanistan and U.S. efforts to fight terrorism. Moreover, few in predominantly Muslim countries say the U.S. takes a multilateral approach to foreign policy. Fewer than a quarter in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey say the U.S. takes the interests of countries like theirs into account when making foreign policy decisions

In Western Europe, fewer than half in Britain (40%), France (32%) and Spain (19%) say the U.S. takes the interests of other countries into account when making foreign policy decisions. Only in Germany does a majority feel otherwise. In Eastern Europe, a third or less believe America acts multilaterally.

Interestingly, a majority of Chinese (57%) credit America with considering the interests of other nations, although last year more (76%) held this view. Elsewhere, majorities in Israel, India, Japan, Brazil and Kenya describe the U.S. as multilateral in its approach to foreign policy.

Majorities or pluralities in nearly every country surveyed say the U.S. and NATO should remove their troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible; the only exceptions are Spain, Israel, India, Japan and Kenya, where more say troops should remain in that country until the situation is stabilized than say they should be removed. However, in many parts of the world, there is strong support for the broader, American-led effort to combat terrorism. About seven-in-ten in France (71%), two-thirds in Germany, 59% in Britain and 58% in Spain back U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. Majorities in Eastern Europe also support the U.S.-led fight against terrorism, as do most in Israel and Kenya.

U.S. Viewed More Favorably Than China

Across the nations surveyed, the U.S. generally receives more favorable marks than China: the median percentage rating China favorably is 52%, eight points lower than the median percentage offering a positive assessment of the U.S.

However, the number of people expressing positive views of China has grown in a number of countries, including the four Western European countries surveyed. China’s image has also improved in Indonesia, Japan, Egypt and Poland. Opinion of China has worsened substantially in only two countries surveyed: Kenya (down 15 percentage points from last year) and Jordan (9 points lower than in 2010).

U.S. image, meanwhile, has declined in most countries for which there are trends. Compared with last year, favorable views of America are lower in Kenya (11 percentage points), Jordan (8 points), Turkey (7 points), Indonesia (5 points), Pakistan (5 points), Mexico (4 points), Poland (4 points) and Britain (4 points). However, the largest downward shift has occurred in China, where the number expressing a positive view of the U.S. has fallen 14 points – from 58% in 2010 to 44% today.

In Japan, by contrast, opinion of the U.S. has improved dramatically. A year ago, roughly two-thirds (66%) held a favorable view of America; today, more than eight-in-ten (85%) assess the U.S. favorably. This huge boost in U.S. image is attributable in part to America’s role in helping Japan respond to the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the island nation’s northeast coast in March. A majority (57%) of Japanese say the U.S. has done a great deal to assist their country in responding to this dual disaste

Views of Obama

Assessments of President Obama track fairly closely with overall U.S. ratings. Obama is viewed most positively in Western Europe, where solid majorities say they have confidence in the U.S. president to do the right thing when it comes to world affairs. At least two-thirds in Kenya, Japan and Lithuania also express confidence in Obama, as do smaller majorities in Brazil, Indonesia and Poland.

As is the case with the overall U.S. image, Obama receives his most negative ratings among predominantly Muslim countries. In the Arab world, majorities in the Palestinian territories (84%), Jordan (68%), Egypt (64%) and Lebanon (57%) lack confidence in the president. Roughly seven-in-ten in Turkey (73%) and Pakistan (68%) say the same. Indonesians are the exception, with 62% saying they have confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs.

Overall, the U.S. president continues to inspire more confidence than any of the other world leaders tested in the survey. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is next most trusted, at least in Europe and Israel. Majorities across Western Europe endorse the German leader’s handling of world affairs, as do most in Eastern Europe. In fact, in Russia and Ukraine she is more trusted than Obama; this is also the case in Israel.

Broad trust in Obama’s leadership does not mean foreign publics necessarily agree with the U.S. president’s policies. For example, in nearly every nation surveyed majorities or pluralities disapprove of Obama’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many also disapprove of Obama’s handling of Iran and Afghanistan, while reactions to the way he has dealt with the recent calls for political change in the Middle East are mixed.

In general, Obama receives his highest marks for his handling of global economic problems. Majorities across Western Europe, for example, endorse Obama’s approach to economic issues, with the highest approval (68%) found in Germany. Large numbers in Kenya, Japan, Indonesia, Brazil and Lithuania also approve of how the U.S. president is dealing with the challenges facing the global economy.

Reactions to China’s Growing Power

Across the globe, public reactions to China’s growing economy are far more positive than opinions about the country’s growing military power. Positive assessments of China’s growing economy are most widespread in the Middle East, where majorities in the Arab countries surveyed, as well as Israel, agree that China’s economic growth benefits their country.

Most in Kenya, Pakistan, Indonesia, Japan, Britain, Brazil and Spain also say China’s growing economy is good for their country. Within Asia, only Indians offer negative views, with just 29% describing an expanding Chinese economy as a good thing and 40% saying it is a bad thing for their country.

When China’s emerging power is framed in military terms, publics in most surveyed nations react less favorably. Majorities or pluralities in all but four of the nations surveyed say China’s increasing military might is a bad thing for their country. This is especially the case in Japan, the U.S., Western Europe and Russia, where at least seven-in-ten have negative views of China’s growing military power.

In contrast, about seven-in-ten Pakistanis (72%) see China’s growing military might as a good thing for their country, as do 62% of Kenyans and Palestinians. Indonesians, by a slim margin (44% to 36%), concur with this view.

Economic Concerns

Opinions as to whether the U.S. or China is the world’s leading economic power, and whether China will supplant America as the dominant superpower, are taking shape against a backdrop of widespread uncertainty about the future and unhappiness with economic conditions at home. In most of the nations surveyed, people say their country’s economy is in bad shape and express dissatisfaction with the way things are going in their country. Moreover, few expect economic conditions to improve in the next year.

Frustration is especially intense in Pakistan, where roughly nine-in-ten say they are displeased with the way things are going in their country, but large majorities across the globe are also dissatisfied. For example, in Spain, dissatisfaction with the country’s direction is at its highest level (83%) since 2003. Meanwhile, the number of Americans who think their country is headed in the wrong direction has swelled from 62% to 73% over the past year.

Only in a handful of countries do more than half express satisfaction with their country’s direction. Among these exceptions are China, Brazil, and India – all dynamic, emerging economic powerhouses, regionally and globally. In Egypt, too, there is substantial satisfaction with the country’s direction (65%), likely reflecting renewed optimism about the country’s future, following the democratic uprising earlier this year

In many instances, levels of overall satisfaction are linked to assessments of the economy. In the U.S., France, Britain and Spain, eight-in-ten or more offer a negative assessment of the national economy, and majorities in these countries see rising prices and a lack of jobs as very big problems.

Inflation worries are especially pronounced outside the industrialized West. Overwhelming majorities in Pakistan, Kenya, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, India and Indonesia describe price increases as a major problem. In Spain, Britain and the U.S., unemployment weighs more heavily than rising prices on the minds of average citizens.

The Chinese public is the most upbeat about economic conditions, with nearly nine-in-ten describing the domestic economy as good. In Germany, two-thirds echo this view, while smaller majorities in India, Israel and Brazil favorably assess the economic situation in their country.

Inflation and a lack of job opportunities are also seen as less urgent issues among Chinese and German respondents. In Germany, for instance, only about a third of the public describes either price increases or unemployment as very big problems. In China, 37% say a lack of jobs is a major concern, while about half are worried about inflation.

Despite economic concerns, publics in all regions express substantial support for growing international trade and business ties with other countries. No fewer than two-thirds in each country say increased international trade is very or somewhat good for their country.

Also of Note:

• Among those who describe the economic situation in their country as bad, most place the primary blame on government. To a greater degree than others, Western Europeans fault banks and other financial institutions for economic troubles at home, with as many as 75% of those who say the economy is bad in Britain and Spain taking this view.
• Worldwide, people tend to blame outside forces, rather than individuals themselves for unemployment in their country. In Western Europe and the U.S., roughly seven-in-ten or more attribute unemployment to forces beyond the control of individuals.
• The United Nations generally receives positive marks among the 23 nations surveyed. However, opinion of the international body is negative in Israel (69%), the Palestinian territories (67%), Jordan (64%) and Turkey (61%).
• In most predominantly Muslim countries there is widespread opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Only in Pakistan does a majority (61%) support Iran’s nuclear ambitions, although significant numbers of Palestinians (38%) and Lebanese (34%) back Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear arsenal.

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 President Obama prepares to make a major address on the tumultuous changes spreading throughout the Middle East, a new survey finds that the rise of pro-democracy movements has not led to an improvement in America’s image in the region. Instead, in key Arab nations and in other predominantly Muslim countries, views of the U.S. remain negative, as they have been for nearly a decade. Indeed, in Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan, views are even more negative than they were one year ago.

With the exception of Indonesia, Obama remains unpopular in the Muslim nations polled, and most disapprove of the way he has handled calls for political change roiling the Middle East. Moreover, many of the concerns that have driven animosity toward the U.S. in recent years are still present – a perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally, opposition to the war on terror, and fears of America as a military threat. And in countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Pakistan, most say their own governments cooperate too much with the U.S.

While the Arab Spring has not led to a change in America’s image, it has generated considerable interest and excitement, especially in the Arab nations surveyed. More than 85% in Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian territories, and Lebanon have followed news about political demonstrations in the region, and in Arab countries there is widespread optimism that the protests will lead to more democracy. Most Israelis have also followed the political upheaval in neighboring countries, but they are divided over whether it will produce more democratic societies.

The survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project March 21-April 26, suggests the enthusiasm for democracy displayed by protestors in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere is consistent with public opinion in majority Muslim nations.¹ Democracy is widely seen as the best form of government, especially in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, where more than seven-in-ten hold this view. Moreover, people in the Muslim nations surveyed clearly value specific features of a democratic system, such as freedom of religion, free speech, and competitive elections. And publics in many Muslim countries increasingly believe that a democratic government, rather than a strong leader, is the best way to solve national problems.

Still, the embrace of democracy coexists with a strong desire for economic growth and political stability. Many prioritize a strong economy over a good democracy. And when they are asked about the key elements of a successful democracy, those in the surveyed nations place economic prosperity and political stability at the top of the list.

Ideas about the role of Islam in society vary across Muslim nations. In Pakistan, Jordan, and Egypt, solid majorities believe laws should be based strictly on the teachings of the Quran, while this is a minority viewpoint in Turkey, Lebanon, Indonesia, and the Palestinian territories. Views about Islamic fundamentalism also vary widely – in Pakistan for instance, Muslims tend to sympathize with fundamentalists, while Lebanese and Turkish Muslims favor those who disagree with fundamentalists.

The poll also highlights the extent to which extremism is rejected in Muslim nations, although there are notable levels of support for radical Islamist groups and suicide terrorism in some countries. Al Qaeda is rated negatively by majorities in all countries, but more than a quarter express a positive opinion of the terrorist group in the Palestinian territories. There is no country in which a majority rates the radical Palestinian organization Hamas positively – still, it receives considerable support in Jordan and Egypt. Among the Palestinians themselves, Hamas is less popular than Fatah, its more secular rival.

The militant Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah receives majority support only in the Palestinian territories. In Lebanon itself, views of Hezbollah reflect the sharp religious divisions within that society. While nearly nine-in-ten Lebanese Shia offer a positive view of Hezbollah, nine-in-ten Sunnis and three-quarters of Christians rate the organization negatively.

In recent years, Pew Global Attitudes surveys have documented a decline in support for suicide bombing in a number of countries, and today the percentage of Muslims who say this type of violence is often or sometimes justifiable stands at 10% or less in Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan. Support for these acts is somewhat more common in Arab nations, although there have been steep declines over the last decade in Lebanon and Jordan.

Palestinian Muslims, however, remain an outlier on this question: 68% say suicide attacks in defense of Islam can often or sometimes be justified, a level of support essentially unchanged from 2007. And in Egypt, support for suicide bombing is actually on the rise – currently, 28% believe it can be justified, up from 8% in 2007.

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.

Egyptians of all ages, from all walks of life, and parts of the country continue to celebrate the dramatic political changes their nation has undergone. Overwhelmingly, they say it is good that former president Hosni Mubarak is gone. Nearly two-in-three are satisfied with the way things are going in Egypt, and most are optimistic about their country’s future.

This is not to say that many do not remain cautious about the prospects for political change – just 41% say that a free and fair choice in the next election is very likely, while as many (43%) think it is only somewhat likely, and 16% say it is unlikely.

In this new political era, Egyptians are embracing long-standing bases of power, and new ones, as well. The military and its leadership are very well regarded, and the Egyptian public is clearly open to religion-based political parties being part of a future government. Most have a favorable opinion of the Muslim Brotherhood, and looking ahead to the elections, it has as much potential support as any of a number of political parties. But other agents of political change are also viewed positively by majorities of Egyptians, including the relatively secular April 6 Movement and political leaders Amr Moussa, Ayman Nour, and Mohamed ElBaradei.

No dividend emerges for the United States from the political changes that have occurred in Egypt. Favorable ratings of the U.S. remain as low as they have been in recent years, and many Egyptians say they want a less close relationship with America. Israel fares even more poorly. By a 54%-to-36% margin, Egyptians want the peace treaty with that country annulled.

These are the principal findings from a nationwide survey of Egypt by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 1,000 adults in Egypt between March 24 and April 7, 2011. The poll finds Egyptians anxious for democracy and accountable government. When they are asked what has concerned them most about Egypt in recent years, corruption and a lack of democracy top the list.

And support for democracy is clearly on the rise in Egypt. Last year, 60% of Egyptians said that democracy is preferable to any other type of government; today, 71% hold this view. By a 64%-to-34% majority, most say they favor a democratic form of government over a strong leader. Four years ago the public was evenly divided on this basic question about governance. Moreover, 62% want parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible, rather than delaying them to give political parties more time to organize.

Yet, the poll finds that the desire for free multiparty elections co-exists, and potentially competes with, other aspirations. More Egyptians say that improved economic conditions (82%) and a fair judiciary (79%) are very important than say that about honest, multiparty elections (55%). And maintaining law and order is also more highly rated (63%). In that regard, when asked to choose which is more important – a democratic government, even if there is some risk of political instability, or a stable government that is not fully democratic – democracy wins out, but by a narrow 54%-majority; 32% choose stability, and as many as 14% of Egyptians say they are not sure. When a good democracy is tested against a strong economy, it is a 47%-to-49% draw, respectively.

Regarding economic conditions, the survey finds Egyptians somewhat more positive than they were a year ago. About one-third (34%) now rate the economy as good, compared with 20% in 2010; still, most (64%) say economic conditions are bad. But fully 56% think the economy will improve over the next year. Just 25% were optimistic in 2010.

The Military Stands Out

The military is now almost universally seen (88%) as having a good influence on the way things are going in Egypt. Fully 90% rate military chief Mohamed Tantawi favorably. In contrast, views of the police are on balance negative (39% good influence, 61% bad influence). The court system and religious leaders are seen by most as having a good influence on the country, 67% and 81% respectively, but it is of note that fewer Egyptians give religious leaders very good ratings this year than did so in 2007 (29% vs. 43%). Most see the traditional news media’s influence as having a positive impact on the way things are going, and the survey found as many as 23% saying they use social networking sites to get news and information about the political situation in Egypt.

Egyptians are welcoming some forms of change more than others. While half say it is very important that religious parties be allowed to be part of the government, only 27% give a similar priority to assuring that the military falls under civilian control. Relatively few (39%) give high priority to women having the same rights as men. Women themselves are more likely to say it is very important that they are assured equal rights than are men (48% vs. 30%). Overall, just 36% think it is very important that Coptic Christians and other religious minorities are able to freely practice their religions.

Religiosity

Egyptians hold diverse views about religion. About six-in-ten (62%) think laws should strictly follow the teachings of the Quran. However, only 31% of Egyptian Muslims say they sympathize with Islamic fundamentalists, while nearly the same number (30%) say they sympathize with those who disagree with the fundamentalists, and 26% have mixed views on this question. Those who disagree with fundamentalists are almost evenly divided on whether the treaty with Israel should be annulled, while others favor ending the pact by a goodly margin.

Views of U.S.

Only 20% of Egyptians hold a favorable opinion of the United States, which is nearly identical to the 17% who rated it favorably in 2010. Better educated and younger Egyptians have a slightly more positive attitude toward the U.S. than do other Egyptians.

Ratings for U.S. President Barack Obama are also basically unchanged from last year – currently, 35% of Egyptians express confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs, compared with 33% in 2010. The American president gets more negative than positive reviews for how he is handling the political changes sweeping through the Middle East: 52% disapprove of how Obama is dealing with the calls for political change in nations such as Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, and Libya. A plurality of those who disapprove say Obama has shown too little support for those who are calling for change.

When asked specifically about the U.S. response to the political situation in Egypt, 39% say the U.S. has had a negative impact, while just 22% say it has had a positive effect, and 35% volunteer that the U.S. has neither positively nor negatively influenced the situation in their country.

Looking to the future, few Egyptians (15%) want closer ties with the U.S., while 43% would prefer a more distant relationship, and 40% would like the relationship between the two countries to remain about as close as it has been in recent years.

When asked specifically about the political situation in their own country, only 22% of Egyptians say the U.S. has had a positive impact on the way things are now going. Remaining Egyptians are divided between those who believe the U.S. has had a negative impact on current developments and those who essentially see the U.S. as a non-factor in Egypt’s political changes.

Washington’s stance on political change in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries has done little to alter overall views of the U.S. Nearly eight-in-ten Egyptians have an unfavorable opinion of the U.S. – virtually unchanged from last year. Most continue to express negative views about President Obama, with more than six-in-ten saying they do not have confidence in him to do the right thing with regard to world affairs.

Public opinion is more mixed with regard to bilateral relations. Four-in-ten want the relationship with the U.S. to be as close as it has been in recent years, while an almost identical number want a more distant relationship. Only a small minority wants closer ties with the U.S.

Egyptian views on relations with Israel are starker: A majority says the 1979 peace treaty that made Egypt the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel should be annulled. Just over a third say the treaty should be maintained.

U.S. Response to Events in Middle East

Washington’s response to political change in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Libya has not won over most Egyptians – 52% disapprove of how President Obama is dealing with calls for political change in the Middle East, compared with 45% who approve.

Poorer Egyptians are more critical of U.S. engagement. About seven-in-ten (69%) among those with lower incomes disapprove of how President Obama is handling developments in the Middle East, while nearly six-in-ten (58%) with higher incomes actually approve of the U.S. approach.

Views of the U.S. response are also more positive among younger and better-educated Egyptians. Among those under age 30, 51% positively assess Obama’s handling of calls for political change, compared with 41% among those age 30 or older. Similarly, 52% of Egyptians with a college education approve of the U.S. response, while 43% with secondary education or less share this view.

Among Egyptians who disapprove of the U.S. response to events in the Middle East, 42% believe the U.S. president has shown too little support for those protesting in the streets of Cairo and elsewhere; just 13% believe Washington has shown too much support. Over a third (36%) of those unhappy with the U.S. response do not see the U.S. president as offering either too little or too much backing to advocates of political change.

U.S. Impact on Situation in Egypt

When it comes to their own country, few Egyptians applaud U.S. handling of recent events. Only 22% say the U.S. response to the political situation in Egypt has had a positive impact on the way things are now going. Many more – 39% – feel the U.S. has had a negative impact.

Even among younger Egyptians and those with higher incomes – groups that tend to be somewhat more favorable in their assessment of how Obama has handled the demands for change in the Middle East – fewer than three-in-ten think the U.S. has positively influenced the current situation in Egypt. Meanwhile, 50% of lower-income Egyptians say the U.S. response has had a negative effect.

Interestingly, 35% of Egyptians say the U.S. has had neither a positive nor negative impact on the current situation in the country. This suggests that for a sizable percentage of the population the U.S. has essentially been a non-factor in the political changes sweeping the country.

U.S. Image

Washington’s handling of recent events in Egypt and the Middle East has not significantly altered overall opinion of the U.S. Today, 79% of Egyptians have an unfavorable opinion of the U.S., compared with 20% with a favorable view. In spring 2010, the split was 82% unfavorable and 17% favorable.

Even though Egyptians of all educational levels have unfavorable views of the U.S., those who are more highly educated are slightly less negative. For example, 68% of those with a college education have an unfavorable opinion of the U.S., compared with 85% with a primary or less education.

Unfavorable opinion of the U.S. is more pronounced among older Egyptians, as well. Among those age 50 and older 86% view the U.S. unfavorably, compared with 75% among those under 30.

Like general views of the U.S., Egyptian opinion of President Obama is decidedly negative. More than six-in-ten (64%) currently say they have not too much or no confidence in the U.S. leader to do the right thing regarding world affairs; just 35% have a lot or some confidence. A year ago, 59% lacked confidence, while 33% had confidence.

As is the case with President Obama’s handling of recent events in the Middle East, younger and better off Egyptians are slightly more positive in their assessment of the U.S. leader. Forty-four percent of those under age 30 have confidence in the U.S. president, compared with a third of Egyptians 50 and older. Likewise, four-in-ten (41%) higher-income Egyptians trust President Obama to do the right thing on the world stage, while only three-in-ten among lower-income Egyptians share that view.

Relationship With U.S.

When asked about bilateral relations with the U.S., 43% of Egyptians say they would prefer their country to have a less close relationship with the U.S. Nearly the same number (40%) would like the relationship to remain as it has been in recent years. Only 15% voice interest in Egypt and the U.S. sharing a closer relationship in the years ahead.

Egyptians who are less well-off tend to be more supportive of distancing the bilateral relationship. Fifty-five percent of lower-income Egyptians support more distant relations, compared with just over a third (36%) of those with higher incomes.

Relationship With Israel

Egyptians appear prepared to overturn the three-decade-old peace agreement that has been a cornerstone of the country’s relationship with Israel. By a margin of 54% to 36%, Egyptians say their country should annul the treaty with Israel. One-in-ten offer no definite opinion.

Views on the peace treaty with Israel vary by income group. Six-in-ten among those with lower incomes support annulling the peace agreement, while 45% of higher-income Egyptians agree. Attitudes also differ by education: 59% of those with a primary education or less favor annulling the treaty, while only 40% of those with a college education or more feel the same way.

Egyptian Muslims who sympathize with those who disagree with Islamic fundamentalists are nearly evenly divided in their views on the peace treaty; 48% favor maintaining the treaty with Israel and 51% say their country should annul the treaty. Among those who sympathize with fundamentalists or who do not choose a side, the balance of opinion is in favor of annulling the treaty. About half (51%) of Muslims who agree with Islamic fundamentalists say the treaty should be annulled, while just about a third (34%) favor maintaining it.

Moreover, Indians assign higher ratings to the U.S. than to other leading powers.  About half (51%) have a positive opinion of Russia, while only 36% say the same about the EU.

Meanwhile, views toward China have turned sharply negative over the last year.  In 2009, 46% of Indians expressed a positive view of China, compared with just 34% this year.

Indians see their own country as a rising global power.  Nearly nine-in-ten Indians say their country already is (38%) or will eventually be (49%) one of the most powerful nations in the world.  Just 8% say India will never be one of the world’s leading powers.

Most Indians also think their country is popular abroad.  However, India actually receives mixed reviews from its Asian neighbors.

Positive Ratings for U.S.

America’s image in India has been generally positive in all Pew Global Attitudes surveys dating back to 2002, and this year roughly two-thirds (66%) of Indians have a favorable opinion of the U.S.; just 24% express an unfavorable view.  Still, positive ratings for the U.S. are less common now than in 2009, when 76% held a favorable view.

Indians with higher household incomes and higher levels of education are especially likely to express a positive view of the U.S.⁴ At least seven-in-ten high- (72%) and middle- (70%) income respondents give the U.S. favorable ratings, compared with 54% of those in the low-income group.

Similarly, Indians who have attended college (70%) and those with a high school education (68%) are more likely than those with five to nine years of schooling (47%) and those with four years or less (39%) to have a positive opinion of the U.S.  Nearly one-in-five (19%) low-income respondents do not offer an opinion about the U.S.; about three-in-ten of those with less than a high school education also do not offer an opinion.

About half of Indians (51%) consider the U.S. a partner to their country, down slightly from 56% last year, but considerably higher than the 40% observed in 2008.  Meanwhile, 24% regard the U.S. as an enemy, up from 9% in last year’s poll.  The percentage that sees the U.S. as neither a partner nor an enemy has dropped significantly over the last two years, falling from 38% in 2008 to 17% today.

A common complaint about American foreign policy in many countries is that the U.S. acts unilaterally in world affairs, failing to take into account the interests of other nations, but this is not the case in India.  Fully 83% of Indians think the U.S. takes into account the interests of countries like theirs when it is making foreign policy decisions – the highest percentage among the 21 countries surveyed outside the U.S.  The view that the U.S. considers India’s interests has become steadily more common since 2002, when only 51% held this view.

President Barack Obama also receives largely positive ratings in India.  Nearly three-in-four (73%) say they have a lot or some confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs.  Just 15% have not too much or no confidence in the American president.

Most Say U.S.-India Relations Have Improved

Six-in-ten Indians think that relations between their country and the U.S. have improved in recent years, while 29% say they have not improved.  Indians are less likely to say the relationship is improving than was the case in 2009, when 70% held this view.

Indians are divided over whether relations between the U.S. and neighboring Pakistan have improved in recent years: 40% say they have improved, while 44% believe they have not.

A 38% plurality believes that U.S. policies toward India and Pakistan favor India too much, while 33% say they are fair and 14% say they favor Pakistan.

Looking at Pakistani public opinion on these same questions, 37% believe relations between the U.S. and India have improved in recent years, while 32% say they have not.  Pakistanis are also somewhat divided over whether relations between their own country and the U.S. have improved: 36% say yes, 39% no.  Regarding American policy in South Asia, nearly half of Pakistanis (47%) say the U.S. favors India too much; 13% believe U.S. policy is fair and just 6% say it favors Pakistan.

Declining Ratings for China

Indian views of China have grown significantly more negative over the last year.  Currently, just 34% hold a favorable opinion of China, while 52% have an unfavorable opinion.  In 2009, 46% expressed a positive and 39% a negative view.  As recently as five years ago, positive ratings of China outweighed negative ones by a 56% to 20% margin.

The percentage of Indians who consider China an enemy has almost doubled since last year’s poll.  Today, 44% hold this view, compared with 23% in 2009.  Roughly a third (32%) now label China a partner, down from 43% last year.

About four-in-ten Indians (42%) consider China a very serious threat to their country; another 28% say it is a somewhat serious threat.  Fewer than one-in-five think it is either a minor threat (11%) or no threat at all (8%).

Concerns about China’s economic power are also on the rise – 56% say China’s growing economy is a bad thing for India, up from 45% in 2008.

China’s expanding military might is viewed even more negatively.  More than six-in-ten (64%) believe that China’s growing military power is a bad thing for India; 27% consider it a good thing.  Opinions on this question have changed little since 2008, when 62% said it was bad for India and 24% believed it was good.

India’s International Image

Overwhelmingly, Indians believe that their own country is perceived positively abroad; 87% say India is generally liked around the world, while just 12% think people in other countries dislike India.  Of the 22 nations surveyed, only in Indonesia do more (92%) say their country is well-regarded.

However, India does not receive uniformly positive ratings from the five other Asian publics included in the survey.  Majorities in Indonesia (64%) and Japan (62%) offer favorable opinions; views of India are also, on balance, positive in South Korea, where half give the country a favorable rating and about a third (34%) give it an unfavorable rating.

In contrast, just one-in-five Pakistanis express positive views of their country’s longtime rival; seven-in-ten have a negative opinion of India.  Overall views of India are also negative in China – only about one-third of Chinese respondents (32%) have a favorable opinion and 51% have an unfavorable opinion of India.

In Indonesia, Japan and South Korea, ratings for India are higher than those for China, another major Asian power.  Just 38% in South Korea and even fewer (26%) in Japan give China a favorable rating, while majorities in both (56% and 69%, respectively) give it an unfavorable rating.  And while most Indonesians (58%) offer positive opinions of China, even more express favorable views of India.  Pakistanis, on the other hand, have far more positive views of China than they do of India; more than eight-in-ten (85%) in that country give China a favorable rating.

Views of India’s Economic Power

With the exception of Pakistan, majorities in all of the Asian countries surveyed see India’s growing economy as a good thing for their countries.  Views of India’s economic power are particularly positive in Japan and South Korea, where at least two-thirds consider it a good thing (76% and 68%, respectively).  Nearly six-in-ten in Indonesia (57%) also offer positive assessments of India’s growing economy.

Despite the fact that only about one-third of Chinese have a favorable overall opinion of India, six-in-ten say India’s growing economy is good for China.  Moreover, 53% of Chinese characterize the relationship between India and their country as one of cooperation; only 9% describe it as one of hostility; 23% say it is neither, while 15% have no opinion.

Just 27% of Pakistanis say India’s growing economic strength is good for their country; a majority (53%) considers India’s growing economy bad for Pakistan.  In contrast, about eight-in-ten (79%) Pakistanis offer positive views of China’s economic power.  Majorities in Japan and Indonesia (61% each) also consider China’s economic might a good thing for their countries, while South Koreans are divided – 45% say China’s growing economy is good and 49% say it is bad.

When President Barack Obama travels to India next month, he will visit a country in which both he and the nation he leads are broadly popular.  More than seven-in-ten Indians have confidence in the American president and about two-thirds express a favorable opinion of the United States.  Indians are also feeling positive about their own country’s role in world affairs and they are optimistic about its economic future.

India has enjoyed impressive economic growth in recent years, and today nearly six-in-ten Indians (57%) say their nation’s economy is in good shape.  Among the 22 publics included in the spring 2010 Pew Global Attitudes survey, only the Chinese and Brazilians are more satisfied with their economic situation.  Still, Indians believe their country faces a number of major challenges, including crime and corruption.  And nearly two years after the deadly Mumbai attacks, 81% say terrorism is a very big problem.

Moreover, a plurality of Indians characterize Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group widely blamed for the Mumbai attacks, as the greatest threat facing their country.  One-third name Pakistan as the greatest threat – and overwhelmingly Indians believe there is a link between these two threats: 58% say the Pakistani government actively supports extremist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, while another 21% think it at least tolerates them.  And if these groups were to conduct another terrorist attack against India, most would support military action against them in Pakistan.

Overall, Indians take a dim view of their neighbor and longtime rival: 81% express a negative opinion of Pakistan.  Concern that the Pakistani state will be consumed by extremism is widespread: 78% are worried that extremists groups will take over Pakistan.

Despite these tensions and a history of hostility between the two nations, most want better relations and deeper economic ties with Pakistan.  More than eight-in-ten Indians (83%) say it is important that relations with Pakistan improve, while more than six-in-ten (63%) believe an increase in trade and business ties between the two countries would be good for India.  And 63% also favor further talks between India and Pakistan to reduce tensions.

These are the latest findings from a spring 2010 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project.  Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 2,254 adults in India from April 9 to April 30, 2010.  The sample, which is disproportionately urban, represents approximately 61% of the adult population.¹ (India was surveyed as part of the Spring 2010 Pew Global Attitudes survey, which included 22 nations.  For more findings from this survey, see “Obama More Popular Abroad Than at Home, Global Image of U.S. Continues to Benefit,” released June 17, 2010, as well as other reports and analyses at pewglobal.org.)

U.S. Image Strong

The United States enjoys a largely positive image in India.  Nearly two-thirds (66%) express a favorable opinion of the U.S., although this is down from 76% last year.  By contrast, only 51% rate Russia favorably, and even fewer feel this way about the EU (36%) or China (34%).

While many publics around the world continue to believe the U.S. acts unilaterally in world affairs, Indians see a more multilateral America.  More than eight-in-ten (83%) say the U.S. takes the interests of countries like India into account when it makes foreign policy decisions – the highest percentage among the 21 nations surveyed outside the U.S.  This view has become increasingly common among Indians over the last eight years – in 2002, only 51% said the U.S. considered their interests.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to visit India and other Asian countries in November, is widely popular: 73% express confidence that Obama will do the right thing in world affairs.

India as a World Power

Indians express confident views about their country’s role in the international arena.  Almost four-in-ten (38%) think India is already one of the world’s leading powers and roughly half (49%) say it will be one eventually.  Only 8% believe it will never be a major power.

Indians also believe their country is well-regarded abroad; 87% say India is generally liked by people in other counties.  Among the 22 publics surveyed, only Indonesians (92%) are more likely to think their country enjoys international popularity.

However, India actually receives mixed ratings in other Asian countries.  On balance, Indonesians, Japanese, and South Koreans express positive views of India, but opinions toward India in China, and especially in Pakistan, are largely negative.

Most Say Economy Is Strong

Over the last several years, Indians have not shared the gloomy economic mood that has been pervasive across much of the globe.  Again this year, most Indians see their country’s economy in a positive light; 57% say the economy is in good shape, although this is down from 73% in 2009.

Overwhelmingly, Indians give their government high marks for its handling of the economy; 85% say it is doing a good job.  And most are optimistic about the future, with 64% saying the economy will improve over the next 12 months.

These ratings look even more positive when compared with other countries around the world, many of which are still struggling with the effects of the global economic downturn.

China (91%) and Brazil (62%) are the only countries surveyed in which a larger percentage of respondents describe their economic situation in a positive light.  China is the only nation in which the government gets higher marks for dealing with the economy (91% of Chinese approve of how their government has handled this issue).  And India ranks fourth out of 22 nations in terms of optimism about the near term economic future.

India also ranks fourth on overall satisfaction with national conditions.  Even so, only 45% of Indians say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their country, while 54% are dissatisfied.  In 2009, a majority (53%) had a positive view of national conditions and 46% offered a negative assessment.

Indians see a number of specific challenges facing their nation.  In particular, at least 80% say crime, terrorism and corruption are very big problems.  More than six-in-ten characterize the situation in Kashmir, pollution, and illegal drugs as very big problems.² And about two-thirds say this about economic problems, suggesting that Indians continue to confront economic challenges, even if they believe their country is generally on the right economic path.

Also of Note

• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh receives extremely positive ratings (87% favorable), as do Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi (87%) and her son Rahul Gandhi (85%).
• The Indian military also receives high marks: 92% say it is having a good influence on the nation, and 65% describe its influence as very good.
• Indians embrace key elements of economic globalization.  Nine-in-ten describe growing trade and business ties between India and other nations as a good thing; 79% believe most people are better off in a free market economy, even if that means some are rich while others are poor; and 72% think large foreign companies are having a positive impact in India.