Bruce Stokes

An aging population is a looming economic and social burden, particularly in Europe and Northeast Asia, and to a lesser extent in the United States.

While Americans say they want the U.S. to mind its own business and focus on issues at home, they remain concerned about the security threats that face the nation in 2014.

Protecting the U.S. from terrorist attacks and protecting American jobs are the two top foreign policy priorities for Americans in 2014.

Americans have strongly favorable views of some allies and negative opinions about a range of others. Some of this is driven by U.S. partisan politics. And history suggests all such opinions are subject to change.

Here are some data points that measure how the public in the U.S. and around the world see the challenges ahead for 2014.

Public awareness of income inequality in the U.S. appears to be out of touch with existing income gaps in contrast to most other countries.

Angela Merkel's high marks on dealing with the euro crisis may be one reason she leads her chief rival Social Democratic chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück.

The American and French publics, who a decade ago bitterly disagreed over the U.S. invasion of Iraq, now see eye-to-eye on the looming military strike against Syria because of its alleged use of chemical weapons against its own people. In principle they both think there are times when it is necessary to use military force […]

As this year’s G20 summit begins in Russia, just 37% of people in participating nations think their country’s economic situation will improve in next year.