Polls & Research

U.S. Not Respected Abroad, Say Americans

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The vast majority of people in the United States consider the world holds a negative opinion of their country, according to a poll by CBS News. 71 per cent of respondents say the U.S. is not respected globally today.

An additional 54 per cent of respondents think the foreign policies of U.S. president George W. Bush have made world leaders less likely to cooperate with the United States, while 30 per cent think the president's actions have made no difference on this matter.

Bush—a Republican—earned a second four-year term in the November 2004 presidential election with 51.03 per cent of the vote. His government is currently leading two high-profile military operations abroad: The coalition effort in Iraq and the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. In his January 2005 inauguration speech, Bush said: "It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world."

Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.

At least 618 soldiers—including 403 Americans—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 3,587 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 26,350 troops have been wounded in action.

On Jul. 2, Bush met with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Maine. Bush praised his counterpart in public after the meeting, saying, "When you're dealing with a world leader, you wonder whether or not he's telling you the truth or not. I've never had to worry about that with Vladimir Putin. Sometimes he says things I don't want to hear, but I know he's always telling me the truth."

Polling Data

Do you think the United States is respected around the world today, or not?

Do you think George W. Bush's foreign policies have made world leaders more likely to cooperate with the United States, less likely to cooperate, or haven't George W. Bush's foreign policies made much of a difference?