Who Leads the World? Meridian International Center and Gallup Release Data on Global Perceptions of U.S. Leadership

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How does the world feel about U.S. leadership? If given the chance, who would permanently move to the U.S.? Who wants to be an American?

These are among the questions that Meridian International Center and Gallup answered on Wednesday, March 13, 2013, when they released the findings of the fourth annual U.S.-Global Leadership Track report at Gallup's Headquarters in Washington DC. The Track polled individuals from 130 countries and areas (representative of 98% of the world's adult population) in 2012 on whether they approve or disapprove of U.S. leadership.

A Snapshot of the Results:

How does the world feel about U.S. Leadership?

• Global median approval of U.S. leadership stood at 41%, down from 46% in 2011, though still higher than 2007 & 2008 figures.
• Africa is no.1 in positive perceptions of the U.S. with a median approval rate of 70%.
• Europe is the region with the lowest median approval rating of U.S. leadership - 36%.
• In Asia, the Philippines takes the top spot as the country with the highest median approval rating of U.S. leadership (64%).
• Meanwhile, Pakistan registered one of the highest disapproval ratings in Asia – 79%, a significant jump of 30 percentage points since 2011.

But ... many people around the world still aspire to live in the U.S.

• Liberia has the highest percentage relative to its population - 37% of adults - who would like to move to the United States.

View the full video here

Read the full report here

About the U.S.-Global Leadership Project: The U.S.-Global Leadership Project is a joint effort between Meridian International Center and Gallup to provide a comprehensive assessment of how world residents view U.S. leadership. The project combines Gallup's global opinion data from more than 150 countries with Meridian's global leadership program to create a unique perspective for leaders interested in factors driving public opinion. Through the data and on-going conferences, leaders better understand what drives perceptions of U.S. and foreign leadership; how to improve those views; and how to enhance international engagement efforts.

About the U.S.-Global Leadership Track: The U.S.-Global Leadership Track is the largest global public opinion study of views about U.S. leadership. This report is the fourth in an annual series and includes U.S. leadership approval data from 130 countries that Gallup surveyed during the last year of President Obama's first administration.

About Meridian International Center: Meridian International Center, founded in 1960, is a leading non-partisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening international understanding and global engagement. Meridian works with the U.S. State Department and U.S. embassies worldwide to create lasting international partnerships through leadership and cultural exchanges. Meridian also connects U.S. and foreign governments with the private sector to respond to global challenges and sustain impact.

Meridian's mission is to create innovative exchange, education, cultural, and policy programs that advance three goals:

• Strengthen U.S. engagement with the world through the power of exchange
• Prepare public and private sector leaders for a complex global future
• Provide a neutral forum for international collaboration across sectors

About Gallup: Gallup delivers forward-thinking research, analytics, and advice to help leaders solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 75 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of the world's constituents, employees, and customers than any other organization.

Gallup consultants help private and public sector organizations boost organic growth through measurement tools, strategic advice, and education. Gallup's 2,000 professionals deliver services at client organizations, through the Web, and in nearly 40 offices around the world.

Monique McSween, Meridian, (202) 939-5882
Lauren Kannry, Gallup, (202) 715-3050

SOURCE Meridian International Center

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