The world is asked all in favour of America say ‘aye’. The answers are surprising

By some accounts America’s “usable power” is waning.

And then there’s the Eurasia Group Foundation  and its inquiry into a key question: Do countries still see American democracy as a model?

Surprisingly, yes. They still do, for the most part.

The Chinese, the Indians, Nigerians, Poles and Brazilians all take a generous view of the US, at least in some ways.

The Japanese and Germans, not so much.

This is interesting in light of the US-China trade war. Imagine, even at such a time, many Chinese admit to feeling the US political and economic systems sets “a positive example for the world.”

Here are the actual findings:

** Chinese respondents have either a somewhat (41 per cent ) or very (17 per cent) positive view of the US. About 9 per cent regard it very unfavourably; 8 per cent somewhat unfavorably.

** 42 per cent of Chinese respondents take a somewhat favourable view of American democracy, 40 per cent are neutral; 1 per cent are very favorable and 5 per cent very unfavorable.

** A massive 70 per cent of Chinese respondents believe the US should “focus on the flaws in its own political system instead of focusing on the political systems of other countries.” They also want a “less assertive” US foreign policy.

** As for German respondents, just 19 per cent say the US has made the world a better place over the past 20 years and only 23 per cent think US democracy is a good example for the world.

** Just 2 per cent of Japanese respondents have highly favourable views of the US or US democracy and the same tiny percentage is willing for the Japanese political system to mimic that of America.

** But 76 per cent of Indians take a favourable view of the US and 86 per cent are admiring of American democracy.

What’s most striking though is the reasons cited most often by respondents in the eight countries for their poor opinion of the US: Donald Trump, US interventions abroad and America’s economic inequality.