Over half of Americans unhappy with nation’s place in the world
- Gallup poll: 47% of Americans think U.S. is seen in a positive way
- 37% say Biden is respected by world leaders
- There are sharp partisan divides in how people think the U.S. is viewed
US President Joe Biden during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Election-year politics will increase the focus on Biden’s remarks and lawmakers’ reactions, as he’s stumping to the nation just months before voters will decide control of the House, Senate, and White House. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg
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(NewsNation) — Americans are the most dissatisfied with the nation’s position in the world since 2017, a decline from the previous three years.
New data from Gallup polling shows just 33% of Americans are satisfied with the nation’s global position. The polling group has asked the question annually since 2000 and it was consistently above 40% in the early years of polling, with a high of 71% in early 2002 after the 9/11 attacks.
Satisfaction has dropped since then, starting with the second half of President George W. Bush’s term in office and the extended war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, with a low of 30% in 2008.
When it comes to how the world views the U.S., 42% of Americans say the country is seen in a very or somewhat positive way by the rest of the world.
When it comes to the president, 37% of Americans say President Joe Biden is respected by world leaders, falling below a 58% rating shortly after he was inaugurated. In 2020, 37% of Americans thought the same of former President Donald Trump, the highest rating of his term. Bush had a similar rating (39%) at a similar point in his term in office, while former President Barack Obama was an outlier among recent leaders, with 51% of adults saying he was respected by world leaders at the same point in his term.
There are strong partisan divides when it comes to how the U.S. and the president are seen. Among Democrats, 65% say the U.S. is viewed favorably compared to just 17% of Republicans. Independents are in the middle at 41%.
Seventy-four percent of Democrats think Biden is respected by other leaders compared to only 3% of Republicans, with 34% of independents saying he is respected on the global stage.
When it comes to being satisfied with the country’s position in the world, 60% of Democrats, 32% of independents and 8% of Republicans are satisfied. In February 2020, when Trump was in office, 85% of Republicans, 48% of independents and 19% of Democrats were satisfied.
That partisan divide has been consistent over the past twenty years, with voters being more satisfied and positive about the nation’s place in the world when their party holds the White House. That division has deepened during the Trump and Biden administrations.
