U.S. image plummets internationally as most say country has handled coronavirus badly

America’s reputation has declined over the past year among many key allies and partners, according to our 13-nation survey. In several countries, the share of the public with a favorable view of the U.S. is at its lowest point since the Center began polling on this nearly two decades ago. Part of the latest decline is linked to how the U.S. has handled the coronavirus pandemic. A 13-country median of just 15% say the U.S. has done a good job of dealing with the outbreak.

• Confidence in President Trump is low, similar to his first year in office
• In many countries, people are more negative about the economy amid COVID-19 than during Great Recession

U.S. public now divided over whether to get COVID-19 vaccine

The share of Americans who say they would get vaccinated for the coronavirus has declined sharply since earlier this year. About half of U.S. adults (51%) now say they would definitely or probably get a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 if it were available today; nearly as many (49%) say they definitely or probably would not get vaccinated at this time. Intent to get a COVID-19 vaccine has fallen from 72% in May, a 21-point drop.

• 14% of U.S. adults say they have tested positive for COVID-19 or are ‘pretty sure’ they have had it
• About half of Americans say their lives will remain changed in major ways when the pandemic is over
• Majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s COVID-19 messaging, though large partisan gaps persist
• See all of our coronavirus research

Political divides, conspiracy theories and divergent news sources heading into 2020 election

Americans’ deep partisan divide, dueling information ecosystems and divergent responses to conspiracy theories and misinformation are all fueling uncertainty and conflict surrounding the presidential election. Americans’ knowledge and opinions about election-related storylines – as well as the candidates themselves – differ strikingly based on their party affiliation and key news sources.

• Legitimacy of voting by mail politicized, leaving Americans divided
• Most Americans who have heard of QAnon conspiracy theories say they are bad for the country and that Trump seems to support people who promote them
• See all of our Election 2020 research

Support for Black Lives Matter has decreased since June but remains strong among Black Americans

A majority of U.S. adults (55%) now express at least some support for the Black Lives Matter movement, down from 67% in June. The share who say they strongly support the movement stands at 29%, down from 38% three months ago. The recent decline in support is particularly notable among White and Hispanic adults.

• Americans have heard more about clashes between police and protesters than other recent news stories

Americans’ views of government: Low trust, but some positive performance ratings

As the U.S. struggles with a pandemic and economic recession, just 20% of U.S. adults say they trust the government in Washington to “do the right thing” just about always or most of the time. At the same time, majorities want the government to play a major role on everything from keeping the country safe from terrorism to ensuring access to health care and alleviating poverty, though there is a partisan divide in some of these areas.

Few Trump or Biden supporters have close friends who support the opposing candidate

8 facts about Catholics and politics in the U.S.

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From our research