Here is what we think of Germany. And a few other countries. I suspect the numbers have dropped even more recently. But we still love you Canucks!
February 10, 2003
Americans' Opinions of France Drop to New Low
Germany and North Korea also rated more unfavorably this year
by Frank Newport
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans have a sharply more unfavorable image of France than they have had at any point over the past decade. Favorable opinions of the country have dropped 20 points in the last year, while unfavorable opinions have risen by 17 points. Americans' attitudes toward Germany, which, like France, has balked at approving the U.S. position on the necessity of military action against Iraq, have also become substantially more negative since last year. The image of North Korea in the minds of Americans, already quite negative, has become even more so this year compared to last.
These conclusions are based on trends in country ratings included in the annual Gallup Poll Social Series Update on World Affairs, conducted Feb. 3-6. The survey included a question asking Americans to give their opinions of a list of 26 countries. The American public's attitudes toward most of these countries can be compared to surveys conducted in February of the last 2 years, and in many instances to surveys stretching back a decade or more.
Although survey respondents were asked to rate each country using a 4-point scale (very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable), the analysis here is based mainly on a "net favorable" rating that subtracts the percentage of Americans rating a country unfavorably from the percentage rating it favorably.
These net favorable ratings range this year from a +83% for Great Britain to a ?85% for Iraq. (The complete ratings for each country are displayed at the bottom of this article.)
The general structure of American public opinion about the 26 countries is roughly similar to where it has been in previous years. English-speaking allies like Great Britain and Canada rate at the top of the list, while the three countries President George W. Bush identified as comprising the "axis of evil" (Iraq, North Korea, and Iran) rate at the bottom of the list.
As noted, France, Germany, and North Korea suffered the biggest drops in the American public's esteem this year. There were no major increases in favorable ratings this year compared to last year for any of the countries tested, although Israel, Egypt, Iran, and Libya are all rated somewhat more favorably this year (the last two, of course, remain near the bottom of the list despite their relative increase in favorable ratings over last year).
We have included in the table below the favorable and unfavorable ratings for each country, the net favorable rating, and the change in the net rating for each country compared to last year. (Several countries were not rated last year, as noted.) Here is the list:
Americans' Ratings of 26 Foreign Countries
Feb. 3-6, 2003
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