The United States and World Opinion Part II

The United States and World Opinion Part I

The Decline of US Popularity over the Past Decade and the Concurrent Election of Pro United States Leaders in Western Europe

The United States has seen a decline in recent years in its favorability rating in certain locales. These negative feelings seem to be breed from a dislike of American activism in the world, particularly the appearance of Unilateralism. However interests and concerns of those western states that saw the greatest decline still, and increasingly match the west. And as a result we have seen over the past two years an increase in the number of pro-American government and heads of states elected in those western countries that had seen a decline in their approval of the United States.

Much of the current decline in US favorability stems from a resentment of us power and prestige. Parts of the world that have seen these declines perceive a lack of multilateralism and concern about Americas ability to act. The Pew Global Attitudes Project conducted a survey of ‘opinion leaders’ in December 2001 and found that despite overall admiration of the United States and in all regions except for the Middle-East majority sympathy for the United States after the September 11th attacks; resentment of United States power was seen as single most important reason for disliking the US. (Pew 2001). This has been a fairly consistent complaint about the U.S. The 2001 survey saw very little perceived U.S. multilateralism. This seems to be a common concern the 2006 Chicago Council on Global Affairs Report found very little support for the U.S.’s continued leadership in solving International problems. Similarly this report found most people poled held the feeling that the United States was acting more then it should as world police man. However, the report also showed a world whose opinion was mixed on the question of U.S. military bases and almost overwhelmingly opposed to U.S. withdrawal from the international scene. According to the director of the Pew Research Center Andrew Kohut, much of the enmity towards the U.S. stems from a resentment of the United States Power, and responsibilities it has taken on around the world, “One of the Costs we bear for taking on these responsibilities is that people get nervous when they see an 800-[p]ound gorilla willing to jump”(Wood 2006 p. 3). This is the real crux of the matter, the world doesn’t like the idea of the U.S. as Hegemon not having to listen to the rest of the world. Especially when America decides, as it did after September 11th to put its hard power to use, to ‘jump’ this explains the decline in U.S. favorability after the launching of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (Pew 2006). Resentment over power and ability to act may also describe the sentiment that seen in the world that it is good for the U.S. to feel vulnerable (Pew 2001). This lack of multilateralism and as a result lack of their power to have a say in the events of the world stage breeds resentment and possibly nervousness about Americas actions. It is this concern by other countries over their perceived and real lack of ability to influence or even to be involved in events, even as the U.S. has a strong influence, is an important reason for the decline of the popular opinion about the U.S.

US Status in the World?