Shannon Schumacher

Germans and Americans have both become more skeptical of China.

Dissatisfaction with the functioning of democracy is linked to concerns about the economy, the pandemic and social divisions.

Germany’s pandemic response and its role in the EU are also rated positively.

During Merkel’s tenure, Germans have generally had more favorable views of their economy than other Europeans and Americans had of their own.

Despite an uptick in positive views of the economy in some places, many say that children will be worse off financially than their parents.

Around two-thirds of adults in Germany, France and the UK say it is important for their national government to make voting compulsory.

Most would welcome government-sponsored job training and other interventions.

In the U.S., concerns about political corruption are especially widespread. Two-in-three Americans agree that the phrase “most politicians are corrupt” describes their country well.

Americans’ opinions of China have soured in recent years. But what are Americans thinking about when they say they have a negative view of China?

As the U.S. and Germany prepare to gain new leadership, their relationship remains unbalanced in the minds of their citizenries. Americans see Germany as a partner on many foreign policy issues, but Germans mostly do not.