Most People Think Their Nation's Foreign Policy Is Morally No Better Than Average: Global Poll

The world is full of nationalistic people certain that their country is morally superior to others, right? Actually, a new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 21 nations around the world finds that people can be remarkably modest.

Asked to assess the morality of their nation's foreign policy, in 19 out of 21 nations the most common answer is that their nation is about average or below average.

In the United States, about half (49%) say the morality of US foreign policy is average with another 16 percent saying it is below average. Just 24 percent say it is above average.

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Across all nations, the most common answer is that their nation's foreign policy is about average, with 41 percent giving this response. The view that their nation is above average is only slightly higher than the view that it is below average--24 percent said it is above average while 21 percent said it is below average.

"People around the world may actually be more realistic than is often assumed," comments Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative project of research centers around the world managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland.

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Asked to assess the morality of other major nations, people around the world tend to feel that all of the major nations are about average.

The nation to get the most negative ratings is China, with six nations saying that its foreign policy is below average (France 60%, Germany 58%, US 57%, Great Britain 53%, South Korea 53% and Italy 45%). Overall 28 percent say China is below average, 15 percent above average, and 34 percent average.

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Views of America's foreign policy are the most mixed. While five nations predominantly say it is below average (Palestinians 61%, Germans 55%, Russians 52%, Turks 45%, and Argentines 40%), two nations predominantly say it is above average (Kenya 56%, and Nigeria 48%). Overall, the US has the largest number worldwide saying it is below average (32%), but it also has one of the highest numbers saying it is above average (20%). Overall, 29 percent say it is about average.

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