World Publics See Government as Responsible For Ensuring Basic Healthcare, Food, and Education Needs: But Big Variations on How Well Their Government is Performing

A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 21 nations around the world finds that large majorities in every country say their government should be responsible for ensuring that citizens can meet their basic needs for food, healthcare, and education

World Publics Reject Torture: But a Substantial Number Make Exception for Terrorists

A WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 19 nations finds that in 14 of them most people favor an unequivocal rule against torture, even in the case of terrorists who have information that could save innocent lives. Four nations lean toward favoring an exception in the case of terrorists

Percentage of Americans Believing Iraq had WMD Rises

Growing numbers of Americans think that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States launched its 2003 invasion, though majorities also believe that the war has encouraged terrorists to attack the United States and doubt that Iraq will be able to develop a stable, democratic government

Global Poll Finds Widespread Belief that Afghans Want NATO Forces Out

A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of nations around the world finds that most publics polled believe that the Afghan people want NATO forces to leave Afghanistan now. On average 53 percent have this belief, while 30 percent assume that most Afghans want NATO forces to stay

Americans Strongly Support UN in Principle, Despite Reservations about Performance

Most Americans believe the United Nations should be stronger and that it plays a necessary role in the world. Americans are dissatisfied, however, with how well the United Nations is carrying out its mission. A comprehensive analysis of polls of the American public over the past decade, conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org shows that the American public remains committed to a strong United Nations. Not only do Americans, like most other publics around the world, want their leaders to work within the United Nations to solve international problems, they also want the world body to take on additional powers, including regulation of the international arms trade and creation of a standing UN peacekeeping force

Can Obama Restore the US Image in the Middle East?

Sitting in a focus group, a young Jordanian bewailed America's relationship with his region: "Since 1948, we have tried peace, but everything turned out to be a lie. Looking to the future, we don't see anything except more wars, problems and efforts to control our leadership." While in recent years, views of the United States have been quite negative around the world, they have been particularly virulent in the Middle East. Majorities in some countries have even expressed support for attacks on US troops and for key aspects of al Qaeda's anti-US agenda, including driving the United States out of the region

Economic System Needs 'Major Changes': Global Poll

Major reform of the international economic system is needed in order to solve the current crisis, according to a new global poll of over 29,000 people carried out for BBC World Service. As G20 leaders prepare to meet in London this week, 70 per cent of those across the 24 countries polled by GlobeScan think 'major changes' are required to the way the global economy is run. Only 4 per cent think no significant changes are needed

Americans Believe U.S. Should Not Imprison Innocent People Indefinitely to Extract Information

Should the United States’ military and intelligence agencies be allowed to hold people because they may provide useful intelligence in the war on terror? A new WPO poll finds that most Americans think that the U.S. government does not have the right to hold individuals solely for interrogation. But a majority of Americans believe that innocent people are being kept at U.S. detention centers indefinitely for that purpose

Poll: Across the World Many See Discrimination Against Widows and Divorced Women

A WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 18 nations around the world finds a widespread perception that widows and divorced women are treated worse than other women. In only two countries do a majority say that there is no discrimination against widows and in only one country does a majority say there is no discrimination against divorced women

Poll Finds Worldwide Agreement That Climate Change is a Threat: Publics Divide Over Whether Costly Steps Are Needed

Data for this study is available at http://hdl.handle.net/1903/10144An international poll finds widespread agreement that climate change is a pressing problem. This majority, however, divides over whether the problem of global warming is urgent enough to require immediate, costly measures or whether more modest efforts are sufficient