A surprising 41% of those polled in India rated the US economic influence as “positive”— the highest in the world—while 25% said it had no influence or was mixed and 25% said it was negative.
    In comparison, seven in ten in Great Britain, Germany (72% each), Australia (71% cent) and France (70%) said the US economy is having a negative impact on economic conditions in their country. A majority of respondents in several middle-income countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey and South Korea also rated US economic influence as negative or mixed.
    The only countries that came close to India in rating the US economic influence as positive were Nigeria (36%) and South Africa (31%). In neighbouring Pakistan, only six per cent of respondents rated the US economic influence as positive despite the billions of dollars of aid Washington has poured in.
    The 24-country, 24000-people survey conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes Project broadly confirmed the continuing positive view of the US in India even as its image has sunk across much of the world. Previous surveys had indicated that much of the goodwill for the US arose from a skewed urban sample that benefited from the jobs and economic opportunities provided by expanding trade.
    In fact, favourable view of the US in India has gone up from 59% in 2007 to 66% in 2008, next only to South Korea (70%) and Poland (68%). In contrast, the US has low approval ratings in Islamic nations—Turkey (12%), Pakistan and Jordan (19%) and Egypt (22%).
    However, even as Indians believe they are benefiting from US economic policies, the survey shows that support for international trade continues to decline in the US—53% Americans say global trade is good for their country, down from 59% last year and 78% in 2002. Support for international trade is lower in the US than in any other country included in the survey. <<back