In what one pollster described as evidence of the "Obama Effect," a new BBC World Service poll finds that America is now viewed as a positive force in the world by more people than view the country as a negative force. (Full poll here [PDF]) This is the first time America has been seen more as a positive than negative influence since the poll began five years ago.
The survey found that the U.S. is seen as having a positive influence in 20 of 28 countries; an average of 46 percent view the country as a positive influence, while 34 percent see it as a negative influence. Negative views of the United States have dropped nine points on average compared to last year, while positive views have increase four points.
Positive views of the United States increased by double digits in Germany, Portugal, Russia and Chile, while negative views declined by double digits in Spain, France and the United Kingdom. America has "motored past" China "in the global soft-power competition," according to pollster Steven Kull of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.
Indeed, perceptions of China are falling, down from 49 percent positive on average in 2005 to 34 percent today, according to the poll.
The most favorably viewed countries overall, according to the survey, are Germany (an average 59 percent positive), Japan (53 percent), the United Kingdom (52 percent) and Canada (51 percent.) Least favorably viewed: Iran (15 percent), Pakistan (16 percent), North Korea (17 percent) and Israel (19 percent.)
The only two countries in the survey where more than half had a negative view of the U.S. are Turkey and Pakistan.
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