Which countries are preferred by America?

Which countries are popular among Americans? 

In this article, as the title suggests, we will discuss “which nations Americans prefer?” “Do foreign nations value America?”

GALLUP’S SURVEY 

A survey was conducted about this. 

The findings of a survey conducted by Gallup asking Americans about their opinions of twenty-two foreign countries is available here. Since Gallup began asking this question in February of each year, the overall findings have been steady. Americans have a soft heart for other English-speaking nations, while having a negative opinion of Middle Eastern nations. What Gallup reports is as follows:

OBSERVATIONS IN A HURRY:

Views about Canadians and Britons: 

Both Canadians and Britons are popular among Americans, but they favor the former more. 53 percent of Americans describe their opinion of Canada as "extremely favorable," compared to 43 percent of Britons. No other nation has a rating of "extremely favorable" greater than 25%.

Their opponents in WWII and France:

The two nations their forebears fought in World War II, Germany, and Japan, are held in lower regard by Americans than France, a U.S. ally in that conflict. The good news for France is that it has a 40-point increase in favorability since the eve of the Iraq War ten years ago.

Perspective on China, Russia & Mexico:

As divided as Americans are about China and Russia, two nations that have been much more antagonistic to U.S. interests and ideals around the world, than they are about Mexico, their neighbor and third-largest trading partner. (Perhaps Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States, and the Road Ahead, the upcoming book by my colleague Shannon O'Neil, will alter Americans' perceptions of Mexico.)

Americans’ stance on Libya:

The removal of Muammar Qaddafi did not alter American perceptions of Libya. Today, only one out of every five Americans has a favorable opinion of Libya. That is nearly the same percentage as it was under Qaddafi's rule.

Reviews on Afghanistan:

Since American forces first overthrew the Taliban, Americans haven't shown important interest in Afghanistan. Only formerly in Gallup's former eleven favorability checks, in 2005, did Americans rate Afghanistan more favorably than 28 percent.

Impression of Iran and North Korea on USA:

Both Iran and North Korea may lay claim to being the United States' least favorite nation. North Korea has a lesser "extremely unfavorable" standing than Iran, which has a larger overall unfavorability standing. (53 percent versus 48 percent).

So now, we're apprehensive of how Americans view the world. 

What America is to the world? This question was not posed by Gallup, but it was by the Pew Research Center (though of a slightly different set of countries).

PEW’S SURVEY 

In many ways, Pew's conclusions are the opposite of Gallup's. American citizens dislike both the United States and Middle Eastern nations. However, there is one key distinction between the two polls: Americans feel more affectionately toward Great Britain than the British do towards the United States. In fact, French opinion of the US is far higher than that of the British.

This discovery is not exclusive to Pew. In a YouGov poll conducted last summer, 40% of Britons chose "bullying" as the word they identified most strongly with the United States, while only 16% said that the country's commitment to upholding human rights best describes it. On the opposite side of the Atlantic, the "special relationship" between the United States and Great Britain doesn't seem to be all that special.

Please feel free to opine as to why in the comment section below.