United Nations
General Attitudes Towards the UN
The majority is strongly supportive of the UN and of US participation in it.
In the September 2000 PIPA poll, 81% said it was extremely (41%) or somewhat (40%) important "for the United States to cooperate with other countries by working through the United Nations," "now that the Cold War has ended." Only 17% said it was "not so" (7%) or "not at all" (10%) important.[1]
In an August 1998 Wirthlin Group poll, 93% said that it is important for the US to be "an active member" of the UN (72% very important). This number was even a bit higher than for NATO (83% said that it was important for America to be an active member of NATO).[2] In a December 1995 poll by Wirthlin Group only 22% said they supported then-current legislation to have the US withdraw from the UN, while 71% were opposed (45% strongly).[3]
Americans are very responsive to the argument that participation in UN efforts ultimately serves US interests. In the October 1999 PIPA poll, an overwhelming 78% agreed with the argument that:
Because the world is so interconnected today, the US should participate in UN efforts to maintain peace, protect human rights, and promote economic development. Such efforts serve US interests because they help create a more stable world that is less apt to have wars and is better for the growth of trade and other US goals.
Only 39% agreed with a counterargument that:
...the world is so big and complex that such [UN] efforts only make a minimal difference with little benefit to the US. Therefore it is not really in the US interest to participate in them.[4]
When asked in general about the UN itself, a solid majority of Americans expressed positive feelings, though support is not as strong as for the principle of US participation in the UN. Asked by Pew for their opinion of the UN in September 1999, 76% said that it was favorable (57% mostly favorable, 19% very) with 19% saying unfavorable (14% mostly, 5% very). Asked in a January 2000 poll by Belden, Russonello and Stewart whether the UN was "making a positive or negative contribution to making the world peaceful and healthy," 76% said the UN was making a very (25%) or somewhat (51%) positive contribution; only 19% said it was making a very (7%) or somewhat (12%) negative contribution.[5]
Over the previous few years, the majority favorably rating the UN has fluctuated between 62% and 76%. However, an May 1994 poll (NBC/Wall Street Journal) suggests a more moderate level of enthusiasm: asked to rate their feelings toward the UN, a plurality of 49% rated them as positive, 27% said their feelings were neutral, and 21% said they were negative.[6]
UN Secretary General: Favorable Impression, but Low Awareness
In November 2001 Time/CNN asked respondents about their general impressions of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Fifty-five percent chose the option that they were "not familiar enough to say," but of those with some familiarity, favorable impressions outnumbered unfavorable impressions by four to one (32% to 9%). [7]
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