Large numbers of British citizens consistently and inaccurately think the worst of America

For the launch of AmericaInTheWorld we commissioned a special opinion poll of nearly 2,000 UK citizens. We'll be publishing the results in three parts:

• Today we examine the extent to which British citizens are ill-informed about the reality of the United States of America.
• Tomorrow we'll show that anti-Americanism is real but not as great as many believe.
• Thirdly we'll be examining whether Barack Obama and John McCain will be able to stem anti-Americanism.

The first part of our survey would suggest that large numbers of Britons think America is a land where polygamy is legal, where you don't get emergency medical care if you are poor and where there is more racism than in Europe. Britons also think that America provided Saddam Hussein with a large share of his weapons when, in reality, Russia, China and France were responsible for most of the arms exports to his Iraq.  On all of these questions Britons are wrong.  There may be many genuine reasons for anti-Americanism in Britain and around the world but a leading cause would appear to be ignorance.  Some of our key findings are published below.

ARMING IRAQ

A huge proportion of Britons agreed with the statement that the USA had sold Saddam Hussein more than a quarter of his weapons.  In reality France, China and Russia (in particular) were mainly responsible for arming Iraq's now dead dictator.  America supplied just 0.46% of his weapons.

POLYGAMY

In reality polygamy is illegal in all US states.

WARS AND ISLAM

The idea that the USA is somehow biased against Islam appears to be shared by the 52% of people who agreed that the above statement was true.  The facts point to an America that consistently comes to the aid of Muslim populations.  According to ‘The Real Roots of Arab Anti-Americanism’, by Barry Rubin for Foreign Affairs, Volume 81, No. 6, pp.73-86, 2002: “The overall tally, in fact, is staggering: during the last half-century, in 11 of 12 major conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims, Muslims and secular forces, or Arabs and non-Arabs, the United States has sided with the former group.”

RACE AND ETHNICITY

Many see America as a racist society.  Our survey found that 45% of Britons agreed with the statement that Americans are more likely than Europeans to say they have little in common with people of other races.  In reality a Pew opinion survey from 2002 found the opposite. Europeans also need to ponder why it is America that may be about to elect a black leader when Europeans have not elected a member of one of their ethnic minorities to their most senior political offices.  Our briefing on race in America finds a mixed picture but surveys show racist attitudes declining steeply among younger Americans.

THE ENVIRONMENT

One of the greatest sources of anti-Americanism is the Bush administration's reluctance to sign the Kyoto Treaty but Europeans shouldn't probably feel too superior.  Our survey found that 70% of Britons thought European countries have been far more successful at reducing carbon emissions than the USA. In reality EU nations are struggling to meet Kyoto targets and efforts by many US states are helping America to improve relative to the rest of the world.  Please see our environment briefing for more on America's record on green issues.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE

In reality it is American law that emergency medical care must be available to all.  Findings like these matter.  Those 31% of Britons are likely to thing America a much more callous society that it is.  Our briefing on medical care in America examines the strengths and challenges of the US healthcare model.

Download a PDF of the full twenty True Or False Statements we tested.

Comments

[professorpnin]

The majority of anti-Americanism in Western countries is due the fact that Americans seem totally ignorant of the politics, history and geography of other nations.

The vast majority of the American people use the terms "England" and "Britain" interchangeably, for example.

Further, the American nation is founded upon European values and philosophies and yet the people of America seem to be totally oblivious of the influence of the European people in the forming of their nation.

[Bob Evans]

Too often, Europeans assert that Americans are provincial and know nothing of other countries in the world. Alas, what most Europeans cannot comprehend is the sheer size of America. The entire 27 nations of the European Union would fit comfortably in the geographical space of the U.S. Neither can they comprehend that Yanks can travel over 3,000 miles in a straight line without leaving the country.

This geographical difference has inevitably led to the Europeans AND the Americans not understanding each other as they should.

[JF]

professorpnin,

"The majority of anti-Americanism in Western countries is due the fact that Americans seem totally ignorant of the politics, history and geography of other nations."

Can you cite any proof for this hypothesis? Polls or studies containing data would be helpful. I'm am sure it would also be interesting to see if there exists proof that British citizens are significantly better informed about the politics, history and geography of other nations, especially outside the EU (I would expect the British to be as well informed about their own super-state as Americans are about the United States government).

"Further, the American nation is founded upon European values and philosophies and yet the people of America seem to be totally oblivious of the influence of the European people in the forming of their nation."

On the contrary, any affection Americans hold for Europeans is based on the mistaken belief that Europeans share the values on which our country was founded. Once upon a time, they did, but no longer. If anything, Americans are largely ignorant of this lack of shared values, thanks to the growing dominance of unelected Eurocrats over national governments.

[professorpnin]

JF:

"Can you cite any proof for this hypothesis?"

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I think that the example of "England" and "Britain" being used interchangeably in the U.S.A supports my argument.

I would suggest that 99.9% of people in the United Kingdom know the difference between Texas and the United States of America, for example.

[normal]

"Europeans also need to ponder why it is America that may be about to elect a black leader when Europeans have not elected a member of one of their ethnic minorities to their most senior political offices."

African Americans alone make up 13% of the US population. Black Britons make up less than 2% - and Britain is a particularly multicultural European nation. Please do your homework before trying to push your bizarre agenda.

If America (do you mean the USA?) is misunderstood in Europe, it's because our experience of it is largely through your own TV programmes, films, celebrities and politicians. If you want our perceptions to change, you're going to have to change your own image.

[JF]

professorpnin,

"I think that the example of "England" and "Britain" being used interchangeably in the U.S.A supports my argument."

I'm afraid we're descending into a vicious circle here. What percentage of Americans believe that England and Britain are interchangeable terms? In other words, is your generalization fair, or is it simply anecdotal? I am of course willing to concede to you if the data is available, but until then, it's just one more stereotype, isn't it? Based on what I've read of the British education system, I'm not yet convinced that the British population is materially better informed about foreign politics, history, and geography than the American population.

Fortunately, I didn't make that assertion--you did. I'm open to the possibility that it's true, but until you can present some proof, we can't assign your statement any value. To then posit that anti-Americanism is caused by this supposed comparative ignorance is getting a bit ahead of yourself.

Indeed, the necessity of this site would seem to indicate the exact opposite: British citizens don't appear to be particularly well informed about the United States, either.

normal,

"If America (do you mean the USA?)"

This seems mendacious. Do you know anyone who confuses "America" with "North America"? I am sure professorpnin would be quick to deny the possibility that any educated British citizen could make such a mistake.

"If you want our perceptions to change, you're going to have to change your own image."

Perhaps you're right, but do you believe American propaganda will be effective and/or well-received in Europe?

[Michelle Rispin]

But the death penalty is intolerable.

[Julie B.]

"I would suggest that 99.9% of people in the United Kingdom know the difference between Texas and the United States of America, for example."
If the capital of the US was in Austin, Texas, and the governor of Texas was the head of state for America, I'm willing to bet a lot of Brits would use "Texas" and "the United States" interchangeably.

[Doug]

I take issue with some of the questions and answers. For example the likelihood of personal assault based on crime surveys. Americans have a much greater sense of personal protection (second amendment rights and historical cultural development in a vast untamed land). I believe Brits are far more deferential to law enforcement which leads to better reporting compared to Americans who are take more responsibility to personal security. I generally don't trust the crime surveys.

The emergency care question is a straw man argument. The general perception, which is correct IMO, is the inaccessibility to quality healthcare for tens of millions of Americans. This leads to the perverse and contradictory situation of world class healthcare professionals and some appalling mortality statistics. In addition the large number of people each year who cite healthcare costs for bankruptcy is disgusting from a British perspective.

You reference to CO2 emissions conflates Europe with Britain. Again its a straw man argument in that on one hand people say America should lead the way as the indispensable nation but on climate change the US abrogated all leadership and is thus open to criticism. The WSJ article also ignored the depressed emissions from the localised economic dip resulting from 9/11, the dot-com bubble bursting and a warmer winter (possibly due to climate change though unlikely) which resulted in 2001 of a dip of 84 million metric tons of CO2. It's ironic to use a WSJ reference when the article in question and the paper in general is so derogatory of Europe. How about a Europe in the World or Britain in the World website to counter the WSJ's and many Americans prejudices?

The Iraq question also relates to conventional weapons and not WMD materials which most people have at the forefront of their mind.

The US passport figures are highly dubious because of a lack of official statistics.

I'm fairly impressed that so many people knew of more technical facts like defence spending and overall taxation.

Also to make your arguments properly you need to do a better job of referencing such as the reference to the Pew poll on race which is a secondary reference. Pew's website provides direct access to results for 2002. Incidentally I couldn't find the survey in question. Also too many one reference citations which don't provide substantive support.

All in all this is a poor survey which is typical of the fledgling PoliticsHome surveys. The need much improvement.

[professorpnin]

If the capital of the US was in Austin, Texas, and the governor of Texas was the head of state for America, I'm willing to bet a lot of Brits would use "Texas" and "the United States" interchangeably.
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No, you are absolutely wrong.

The head of state of Great Britain is either the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom or the Monarch of the United Kingdom.

Clearly you think that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is actually the Prime Minister of England and that the Queen of the United Kingdom is actually the Queen of England. This is wrong and only goes to prove my above point.

There has been no monarch, parliament, or prime minister of England since the Treaty of Union with Scotland in 1707. Since that date, England has been unified with Scotland and both countries have been governed by the monrach, parliament and prime minister of Great Britain/United Kingdom.

[John Rimmer]

The England/Britain argument is pointless. Most people outside the UK (and quite a few inside) also use the term interchangably, this is not just an American error.

[Jim Hacker]

The basic perceptions on either side--after having spent a considerable time with both Americans and Britons in the UK and the US-- are that the English think Americans are heathen (as is the rest of the UK)and Americans think the English (not the rest of the UK) are all homosexual and have bad teeth. The reality is that the English think everyone else are a bunch of primatives and everyone else thinks the English are a bunch of pompous effites. This probably has something to do with both sides having been exposed to the royals.

[Paul Gardner]

First,,, I want to thank all of you for your support,,,

As an United States Citizen, US Navy Veteran, a citizen of the great state of Texas, (boy,,, there is a lot of pride here,,, people flying the flags,,, etc… I grew up in Michigan,,, suburbs of Detroit… let’s say a lot of the pride left there about 50-60 years ago),, Yes we,, the citizens of the United States have our faults also,,, we are,,, only people.... I hear a lot of people in the USA say they are "Americans",,, yes they are,,, so are the Canadians,, the Mexicans and all the way down to the South Americans… What does that mean???? I am not sure,,, does it make the rest not count as much,,, I really hope not!!!

Here is what I do know,,, All of us (around the world) do have things in common,,, We all share a desire to live in peace,,, to afford the basics of life,,, and to worship a greater power than ourselves,,,, that,, for me,, happens to be our creator,,, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,,, and through his son Jesus we are forgiven of our sins… and until we depart from this “skin we are in”,,, and no matter what color, size or shape it is,,, we will always be,,,, sinners…

A little more of what I do know,,, (and that is not much,, as I am not a rocket scientist or brain surgeon,, etc..) When people,,, in all parts of the world are being threatened,,, no matter what their personal religious beliefs are, the color of their skin,,, whether the threats are of acts of man or nature,,, you will see the stars and the stripes being represented there… Not many countries,,, have the heart, the desire and the ability to help in the ways that we can and do… If it takes military action to fight for freedom,,,, we will be there,,, I heard it once said,,, the only thing we ask for is a place to bury our dead,,, if the loss is high…. If it is a natural disaster,,, we will,,, be there with food,,, water,,, blankets,,, tents and clothes,,, not only our government but also our religious communities,,,, we will be there as fast as modern transportation can get us there,,,

Here is a challenge,,, I would like to see,,, the country that can match us in our missionary work…. In all parts of the world,,, we are all of God’s children!!! How great we could make this planet,,, if we all decided to out do each other in missionary work!!! Not even in numbers but in percentages….

But, yes we are not perfect,,, but who or what is,, Sometimes (a lot of the times lately) I feel our government is ineffectual… All they do is argue… the oil situation is a prime example…

During the late 50’s,, as a nation,, because of the external pressures of the then Soviet Union,, we might have fallen behind in our technologies,, we put a man on the moon within 8 years…

Having a “Presidential Initiative” to rid ourselves of this dependence on oil for the security of our nation and the world,, could have a major impact on the oil markets all over the world!!!

a) Every country will follow our lead with trying to break the addiction of oil,, and/or to follow what new technologies that will come from the initiative..
b) Every oil producing nation will also know,, for certain,, there is a timer on the value of their product that will expire within the time frame..
c) The money that leaves this country every year in oil revenue is in the billions,,, and it mostly goes to countries who do not like us very much,,, enough said there,, huh?

By getting the automotive industry off of gasoline will free up the remaining oil for the rest of the markets,, plastics, aviation,, etc…

Maybe our current president has to many close ties with the oil industry,,, but it seems that both sides are not doing enough for our own security and to purge our dependency of foreign oil.

Sorry for going on so much,,, but in closing,, I would just like to say,, we are not perfect,,, we are just humans,, also,,, and better yet,,, consider the times we are in,,, I think we maybe in the closing hours on God’s timetable.. I think we all need to pray for a worldwide revival,,, AMEN!!! Better things are ahead!!!

[Jeff]

>> Again its a straw man argument in that on one hand people say America should lead the way as the indispensable nation but on climate change the US abrogated all leadership and is thus open to criticism. <<

Because it's much more important to talk about doing something than actually do something about it. You see, the EU talks a lot about carbon emissions and that matters more than actually doing something about it. Symbolism is always more important than substance.

And of course the warmer winters which may have resulted in lower carbon emissions in the U.S. were a localized phenomenon that didn't affect Europe at all. Same for recessions, which never affect Europe either.

But fear not, someone here once met an American who said "England" instead of "Britain" and that negates the rest of the poll.

[AnthonyR]

It annoys me that many Americans equate "Britain" and "England," but many Englishmen have and continue do this too, to the chagrin of many Scots and Welsh.

I take issue with this comment:

"I believe Brits are far more deferential to law enforcement which leads to better reporting compared to Americans who are take more responsibility to personal security. I generally don't trust the crime surveys."

I think Britons are holding on to an illusion. My understanding is that violent crime has been worse in Britain than the United States for about a decade, if not longer (though the U.S. probably still has more gun crime). British writers such as Theodore Dalrymple cast doubt on the notion that British crime is adequately reported.

[VIm]

"Too often, Europeans assert that Americans are provincial and know nothing of other countries in the world. Alas, what most Europeans cannot comprehend is the sheer size of America. The entire 27 nations of the European Union would fit comfortably in the geographical space of the U.S. Neither can they comprehend that Yanks can travel over 3,000 miles in a straight line without leaving the country.

This geographical difference has inevitably led to the Europeans AND the Americans not understanding each other as they should."

Ahem... I could say much the same for the geographical space of Australia, yet I think you'll find that the average Australian knows a damn sight MORE about European and US politics and culture than the average US citizen (and even the average Brit these days to be honest).

[VIm]

And let's face it... in these days of easy international access to widely disseminated information (thanks to the internet) it's not really difficult to quickly find out about pretty much ANY subject. It's pure laziness NOT to know what's going on in the world.

[Steevo]

Who knows how accurate this survey is but the results don't surprise me after witnessing so much Brit ignorance, typically to the negative concerning the US.

I've tried on a number of occasions explaining with raw numbers arms sales to Iraq but not only was there skepticism but a determination to 'prove', the contrary because Brits simply did not want to believe but rather, point a finger of American guilt and hypocrisy.

Concerning polygamy this looks to be from a story or two of someone caught with more than one wife. I should say half the real story, the other being prosecution and probably not reported with the same weight. Instant easy impression tho, to the negative for many.

And yes American business is reducing emissions quite well.

All the above examples in the survey are revealing. Does it mean a bent mindset defining prejudice? Well its bent, its ugly, and... its wrong.

[David Wearing]

You say: "A huge proportion of Britons agreed with the statement that the USA had sold Saddam Hussein more than a quarter of his weapons. In reality France, China and Russia (in particular) were mainly responsible for arming Iraq's now dead dictator. America supplied just 0.46% of his weapons."

This is highly misleading. No one claims that the US sold F-15s, Apache helicopters or M16 rifles to Saddam. What the US provided is financial assistance, dual use technology, and intelligence. The dual use technology, for example, was provided knowing that it would probably contribute to Saddam's chemical and biological weapons program. The intelligence was provided so that Saddam had as clear a picture as possible of Iranian targets in the Iran-Iraq war.

The US also gave the green light for its allies in the region, Jordan, Saudi Arabia etc, to sell arms to Saddam.

By saying that America supplied just 0.46% of his weapons, ignoring export guarentees, dual-use technology, intelligence in Saddam's war effort and crucial diplomatic support, you are giving the impression that the US barely supported Saddam at all. That is flatly false.

If this is ignorance of the true US role on your part, then it is highly convenient given your political stance. If it is a deliberate attempt to mislead, then given the suffering of innocent Iranians and Kurds at the hands of Saddam's US-assisted aggression and brutality, its obscene. Utterly obscene. And all for a squalid little PR effort. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

[Andrew]

Despite that recently one lady in New York asked me what language I was speaking (English, I assured her), I find that most Americans do not fit the stereotypes we in Britain give them. They are kind, welcoming, friendly, have little prejudice, and above all aren't as ignorant as we paint them (most Americans I've talked to are, for example, aware of the differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland).

Most people in our country (UK) have been made ignorant ourselves by the mainstream liberal anti-american media. Ironic that lefties are the real racists.

I encourage fellow Britons and Europeans to rid themselves of ignroance, and discover (through this site and personal experiences) the real America - a bastion of freedom and hope.

[Andrew]

Mr Wearing, it is a common prejudice (as shown by the survey) that people in our country may have due to the majority of the media.

Here is one such article:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article807098.ece

[Jose Angel de Monterrey]

On the subject of Bush administration's reluctance to sign the Kyoto Treaty I have seen many diplomats from other countries in Europe,Asia and Latin America because their governments signed the famous treaty.

I am from Mexico and we are supposed to be a proud signatory of such treaty, yet we in Mexico know very well that our country will never enforce the regulations because there is so much corruption going on they can even enforce the current soft environmental regulations on the country´s industry.
I know many other countries in the world like Brazil, China, Spain and other that cannot even enforce their current environmental and safety regulations.
The whole Kyoto treaty is nothing but a joke. I travel through Texas all the time, they have lots of industry there, yet their rivers are beautifully clean for the most part, their highways are clean, the companies that set up shop there have to comply with very strong safety and environmental regulations. In Madrid, Spain, I saw car body-shops where they were painting cars in patios, in open air locations, everyone in Texas knows that in order to paint a car you need a paint-booth with an extractor and filters in order not to pollute the air.
It really makes me laugh when I see poorly regulated countries talking about their committment to Kyoto.

[Queen1]

Professor,
While most Americans might use the shorthand of "England" when what they mean is Great Britain, all of the Americans of my acquaintance know that the "UK" encompasses more than just England. For the most part, Americans don't refer to "Great Britain" or "Britain." We call it the UK when we are talking about England, Scotland, et al.

As for knowing that the roots of our system of governance and our emphasis on individual liberty and the natural law, we are taught beginning in grade school about English common law, the Magna Carta, the Enlightenment, the Renaissance, etc. We probably make the exactly OPPOSITE assumption--that the EU has the same regard for individual liberty, private property rights and the rule of law that we have in the States.
Most Britons may know the difference between Texas and the U.S., but I suspect few of them could fill in a map of the U.S. I have spent extensive time in Europe, including England, and very, very few had even HEARD of Indianapolis or Indiana. The only way I could get a light bulb of recognition was by referring to Chicago. Then what I got was "gangsters" and "Al Capone." Hardly a modern reference point for the City of Big Shoulders. On the other hand, I could fill in a map of the EU quite easily, am familiar with most of the major cities in England and Scotland, know all of the capitals of the EU...and so does my 14 year old son. My 4th grade son had a European country and its capital as a spelling word every week last year and could find the major countries on a map.
As for Kyoto, why should we sign a treaty with which the EU itself refuses to comply? U.S. emissions are not growing at the rate of emissions in the EU. Nor do we all buy the AGW argument--you seem to elevate the acceptance of AGW to something of a religious tenet, making us heretics for not agreeing with you. That's hardly a measure of American worthiness--it's simply an indication that we have not all drunk the climate change Kool-Aid.
As for racism, I am appalled when I read about the level of racism in the UK. Does the term "Paki" ring a bell? White American racial perceptions have changed and continue to change a damn sight faster than do white, "colonial-minded" British perceptions of black and Asian immigrants.

And let's not even go into the class snobbery that still permeates England itself.

I would say that on the whole, Americans may be more uneducated about Britain and the EU, but we are far more tolerant of people like you than you are of us.

[Douglas Buck]

Here in the Michigan wilderness, the night before discovering this site, I just explained to my 15 year old daughter the difference between the UK, Britain, and England.

[Paul Gardner]

This whole thing of referring to either Britons or England,, or the UK etc,,, is crazy,, everyone of these of "comments" refer to US citizens as Americans,,, Yes they are Americans,,, once again so are the Canadians,, the Mexicans,, all the way down to Chile and Argentina,,, all part of North,, Central,,, and South America,,, that makes them all Americans....