Armenia’s approval of U.S. leadership drops by quarter since 2007: Gallup

PanARMENIAN.Net - In the report Worldwide Perceptions of U.S. Leadership carried out and published by Gallup in various years, ratings of Armenia’s approval of the U.S. leadership dropped from 55% in 2007 to 42% in 2015 (a difference of a total of 13%, which makes up about the quarter of the results registered in 2007). In addition, 31% of Armenians said in 2015 they disapprove of U.S. leadership, while some 27% still don’t know enough about the issue to have an opinion.

Gallup has been asking residents worldwide to rate the leadership of the U.S. since 2005, providing a comparison of how perceptions of U.S. leadership change over time and from administration to administration. The recent report reflects those changes, comparing the latest results with those at the beginning of and during the Obama administration.

Results are based on face-to-face and telephone interviews with approximately 1,000 adults, aged 15 and older, conducted throughout 2014 in 135 countries and 2015 in 132 countries.

43% approval ratings in Azerbaijan in 2015 are much higher than the 31% in 2007, but still lower than the 58% in 2010. In Turkey, 32% approve of the U.S. leadership as of 2015, up from 16% in 2007. 44% of Georgians approved, and 26% disapproved of the U.S. leadership in 2015, while only 19% approval ratings were registered in Iran, with half of the population (51%) still disapproving of the job performance of U.S. leadership.

Amid fraying relations with the West, Russian approval remained the lowest in the region, sinking to a record low – 1% - against the 23% approval in 2010. Majorities in Russia (89%) disapproved of the leadership of the U.S. in 2015.

The bright spots for U.S. leadership are Europe and the Americas, where ratings continue to improve.

In Europe, the 46% median approval rating in 2015 almost rebounded to the level when Obama took office in 2009, whereas only 19% of the Europeans approved of the U.S. leadership back in 2007. The 35% median disapproval rating in Europe is the highest recorded during the Obama administration, but this is still far lower than the majority disapproval observed during the last years of the George W. Bush administration (58% in 2008).

The image of U.S. leadership continued to be the strongest worldwide in Africa in 2015. However, median approval remained at 59% — still the lowest point in the history of the trend. This marks the end of a downward trend every year since Obama took office.

U.S. leadership approval ratings in the Americas continued to improve in 2015; the 47% median approval for the region reached its highest point in the past five years but is still lower that the 53% registered in 2009.

38% median approval was registered in Asia in 2015, which is essentially unchanged from approval (39%) in 2014. The median 31% disapproval is at the same level it was at the start of the Obama administration and in 2012.