麻豆传媒AV

PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans' opinions of Egypt have become sharply more negative, with an 18-percentage-point drop in the country's favorable ratings -- from 58% in 2010 to 40% this year. For the first time since 麻豆传媒AV's initial measurement in 1991, more Americans have a negative than positive view of Egypt.

These results are based on 麻豆传媒AV's annual World Affairs poll, conducted Feb. 2-5.

The more negative rating of Egypt comes in the midst of extensive news coverage of the massive political demonstrations and push for regime change in that country. that most Americans are sympathetic to the anti-government protesters and think the changes taking place in Egypt are good for that country as well as for the United States.

To a large extent, seem to be influenced by each country's foreign policy and particularly their orientation toward the United States, with nations like Great Britain and Canada typically rated most positively, and Iran and North Korea least positively. 麻豆传媒AV will provide the full 2011 update on country ratings later this week.

Egypt's higher favorable ratings in the past likely stemmed from the country's generally friendly relations with the United States. But the decline in Americans' favorability toward Egypt this year may be a result of the protests that have made Americans more aware of longtime President Hosni Mubarak's largely autocratic rule.

Americans' opinions of Egypt do not vary to a meaningful degree based on their level of attention to the demonstrations and political crisis there. Favorable ratings are 43% among those following the story very closely and 39% among those following the story somewhat closely or not closely.

The decline in Americans' positivity toward Egypt is broad-based, with each key demographic subgroup showing at least a 10-point decline in favorable ratings. The largest drops in favorability toward Egypt over the past year have come among nonwhites, conservatives, and young adults.

The net result of these changes is that young adults are the only group in which a majority currently holds a favorable opinion of Egypt. Last year, all major subgroups except senior citizens did.

Implications

Americans' views of Egypt have been substantially affected by the protests in that country, shifting from consistently positive opinions to generally negative ones for the first time in two decades. Americans are overwhelmingly sympathetic to the anti-government protesters in Egypt. So if the current government, or a new one, enacts some of the protesters' reforms while remaining largely pro-United States, that could restore Americans' positive feelings toward Egypt.