A biweekly digest of the Center’s latest findings from its worldwide public opinion surveys and demographic research
Thomas Friedman recently opined in The New York Times about “how we broke the world.” While it’s possible to dispute elements of Friedman’s analysis, it’s difficult to dismiss his general thesis. From a viral pandemic to economic recession to social unrest over race and equality, the world does seem to be at a breaking point. Where we go from here is a question on many people’s minds.
As always, Pew Research Center is committed to reporting facts that can improve understanding, facilitate dialogue and support enduring solutions. Our recent work explores how views of the world in the U.S. and elsewhere may be changing, racial differences in attitudes toward police and Americans’ views on immigrants and the U.S. economy.
James Bell
Vice President of Global Strategy, Pew Research Center
How Americans envision a post-pandemic world order
Many Americans are anticipating changes in the global balance of power and the importance of international cooperation even as the coronavirus outbreak continues to rage across the United States and around the world, according to three recent Pew Research Center surveys. Americans are divided in their outlooks, mainly along ideological lines, but are more united on opinions relating to China’s place in the world.
- Coronavirus death toll is heavily concentrated in Democratic congressional districts
- Americans are critical of China’s handling of COVID-19, distrust information about it from Beijing
- Americans’ views on World Health Organization split along partisan lines as Trump calls for U.S. to withdraw
- See all our COVID-19 research
Just a month before Floyd’s death, a Pew Research Center survey survey found that 78% of Americans overall – but a far smaller share of black Americans (56%) – said they had at least a fair amount of confidence in police officers to act in the best interests of the public. By contrast, large majorities of white (84%) and Hispanic (74%) adults expressed at least a fair amount of confidence.
- A message from Pew Research Center: Condemning Racism
- 10 things we know about race and policing in the U.S.
How Americans and Germans see security issues amid Trump’s plan to reduce troop levels
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to withdraw 9,500 American troops from Germany by September. The withdrawal would represent a decrease of more than 25% of the roughly 35,000 total American troops based in Germany, where the United States has had a military presence since the end of World War II. Pew Research Center and Körber-Stiftung have conducted parallel surveys in the U.S. and Germany in recent years to learn more about the way Americans and Germans perceive the relationship between their countries.
A majority of Americans say immigrants mostly fill jobs U.S. citizens do not want
Americans generally agree that immigrants – whether undocumented or living legally in the country – mostly do not work in jobs that U.S. citizens want, with a majority saying so across racial and ethnic groups and among both political parties.
In Taiwan and across the region, many support closer economic ties with both U.S. and mainland China
Politically, Taiwan is often a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations, caught between the two superpowers and pulled in both directions. When it comes to public views of the superpowers, there is little ambiguity: Adults in Taiwan have much more favorable views of the U.S. than mainland China and, by a wide margin, prefer closer political relations with Washington than Beijing.
Pew poll gives new fodder to U.S. politicians criticizing China over pandemic
Forbes
Americans divided over how U.S. COVID-19 response stacks up
Axios
Pew survey shows immutable political divide in the United States
Straits Times
Gambians support a new constitution
International Republican Institute
OECD GDP falls by 1.8% in the first quarter of 2020
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development