Poll: Americans’ perceptions of how world views U.S. at 16-year high

Feb. 25 (UPI) — Americans’ perception of how foreign countries view the United States is at its highest rate since 2003, a Gallup poll released Monday indicates.

The survey, conducted Feb. 1-10, found 58 percent believe the United States rates very or somewhat favorably in the world’s eyes, while 41 percent believe the view is very or somewhat unfavorable. 

The last time the figure was so high was in 2003, when 61 percent of Americans believed the country rated favorably. Last year, the figure was 55 percent. The lowest rating over the past two decades was 40 percent in 2007 and the highest was 79 percent in 2002. 

There’s a sharp divide between Democrats and Republicans in terms of how the United States rates in the world’s eyes, with 36 percent of Democrats rating it favorably, versus 80 percent of Republicans. 

Democrats had a higher rating than Republicans during the Obama administration and the numbers were flipped again under President George W. Bush’s two terms. 

Fifty-three percent said they’re dissatisfied with the United States’ position in the world, compared to 45 percent who are satisfied. Those figures were mostly stagnant from 2018. 

More Americans have been dissatisfied than satisfied since 2004, but the numbers were flipped before then. Democratic and Republican sentiment on the topic again has varied by which president is in the White House, with Republicans more satisfied with how the United States is viewed by the world during the Trump and Bush administrations and Democrats being more satisfied during the Obama administration. 

Most Americans, 65 percent, believe foreign leaders don’t respect President Donald Trump — down from 68 percent in 2018 and 67 percent in 2017. Thirty-one percent said Trump is respected internationally.

“Though the United States’ relationship with a variety of countries across the globe has been tumultuous in recent years, Americans generally see their country itself as being viewed favorably,” a statement from Gallup said. “Trump’s perceived negative global image, with only 31 percent saying he’s respected by world leaders, may reflect the bumpy relationships that have characterized U.S. foreign policy with even some of its strongest allies, such as England, Canada and Germany.”

Gallup interviewed 1,016 adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for the survey, which had a 4 percent margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level.