Outside In | Donald Trump’s not making America great again – in the eyes of the world at least
International perceptions of the US commander-in-chief have undergone an astonishing crash under the Trump administration, except in Russia, Philippines and Israel
Among the world’s most trusted and wide-ranging research organisations must surely be the Washington-based Pew Research Centre – even though its unflinching obsession with fact-based policy insights must put it at the heart of the US’ “fake news” controversies and “anti-expert” politics.
So it was fascinating last week to capture the insights of one of its senior-most researchers transiting Hong Kong, on recent glimpses into the volatile state of US politics, and the roller-coaster transitions in attitudes to the US and its relations with the world, both among Americans and from observers around the world.
Fascinating to learn, for example, that within the US itself, most people’s policy priorities for 2018 focus on terrorism, education policy and the economy (over 70 per cent of people surveyed made these three their top priorities), while climate and the environment attract concern from less than 50 per cent, and that out of 19 policy areas surveyed, global trade attracted the lowest priority of all – a priority for just 38 per cent. So much comfort for those of us in Asia braced for the onset of a deeply uncomfortable trade war.
On trade, also of discomfort to us in Asia, is the finding that indifference towards trade applies to Democrats and Republicans alike. Those of us hopeful for some groups in the US to be concerned about keeping future trade relations on an even keel look likely to be disappointed. Who knows whether a breakdown in Nafta trade negotiations with Canada and Mexico, or an outbreak of trade war with China will lift Global Trade as an issue of concern, but so far there is little sign.
Recent Pew research across 38 countries, assessing what people believe are the greatest global threats, puts the threat from ISIS at the top (62 per cent), with anxiety about climate change a close second. Lower among the threats, but still significant, more people worldwide saw US power and influence as a threat (35 per cent) than power and influence from China or Russia (31 per cent).
In recent research on attitudes inside the US to their federal agencies showed the US Postal Services as the most respected (88 per cent), but showed the FBI as second-most trusted (66 per cent), ahead of the CIA (64 per cent) and far ahead of the Department of Education (53 per cent). I wonder what the White House thinks of this as it trades barbs with the FBI on investigations into Russian efforts to influence elections?