Late last month the Pew Global Attitudes Project published its regular polling on global attitudes toward the USA.
The increases in 'US favourability' are particularly substantial in France, Germany, Spain and, outside Europe, in Indonesia.
America led by Obama has maintained support in parts of the world where George W Bush was reasonably popular. See the graph opposite for resilient or improving numbers in India, Japan, Israel and throughout Africa.
What the Obama administration has yet to prove is that increased favourability translates into concrete gains for American policy goals. Former UN Ambassador John Bolton is sceptical.
