pew research center 2015 u.s.-germany presentation
TRANSCRIPT
Germany and the United States:
Reliable Allies With Differences
May 6, 2015 2 www.pewresearch.org
Methodology
• Survey in the U.S. from February 26 to March 1, 2015 of 1,003
respondents
• Survey in Germany from February 24-25, 2015 of 963 respondents
• Based on nationally representative telephone interviews with adults 18
and older conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research
Associates International and TNS Emnid
• The margin of sampling error for the U.S. is ±3.7% and for Germany is
±4.7%
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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An Overview of the German-American Relationship
72%
59
54
50
62%
26
25
41
U.S. Germany
U.S./Germany is a
reliable ally
U.S.-EU free trade deal
is a good thing
EU is not tough enough
with Russia on Ukraine
Germany should play a
more active military role
RECENT HISTORY IN THE AMERICAN AND GERMAN
CONSCIOUSNESS
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WWII Most Important Event For Americans in U.S.-German
Relations; Fall of Berlin Wall for Germans
Which one of these events is most important to U.S.-German relations over the last 75 years?
47%
28
8
7
3
20%
34
8
12
20
U.S. Germany
World War II &
Holocaust
Marshall Plan
Disagreements
over Iraq War
U.S. monitoring of
Merkel's phone
Fall of the
Berlin Wall
World War II & Holocaust Most Important Events For about Half
of Young Americans
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Which one of these events is most important to U.S.-German relations over the last 75 years?
Total 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
% % % % %
World War II & Holocaust
47 51 47 49 40
Fall of the Berlin Wall
28 24 30 27 28
Disagreements over Iraq War
8 5 10 6 8
U.S. monitoring of Merkel's phone
7 11 6 5 6
Marshall Plan 3 1 2 6 5
German Generational Differences on U.S.-German History
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Which one of these events is most important to U.S.-German relations over the last 75 years?
Total 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
% % % % %
Fall of the Berlin
Wall 34 29 32 36 38
World War II &
Holocaust 20 25 20 18 17
Marshall Plan 20 13 15 24 27
U.S. monitoring of
Merkel's phone 12 20 14 12 5
Disagreements
over Iraq War 8 5 14 7 4
THE U.S.-GERMAN RELATIONSHIP TODAY
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Americans, Especially Older Ones, See Germany as a
Reliable Ally Germany is a very/somewhat reliable ally
72%
75
69
66
77
71
69
Total
Men
Women
18-29
65+
Democrat
Republican
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German Men, SPD Adherents Most Likely to See the U.S. as
a Reliable Ally
U.S. is a very/somewhat reliable ally
62%
68
56
58
63
66
59
74
66
Total
Men
Women
18-29
30-49
50-64
65+
SPD
CDU/CSU
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Americans, Germans Differ on Britain as a Reliable Ally
Percent saying __ is a very/somewhat reliable ally
U.S. Germany Britain France
% % % %
Americans – 72 85 69
Germans 62 – 55 78
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Higher Approval for Both Obama and Merkel by Germans
than by Americans
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Obama is dealing with U.S.-German relations?
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Chancellor Merkel is dealing with U.S.-German relations?
40%
59
36%
31
23%
10
U.S.
Germany
Approve Disapprove Don't know
38%
71
27%
22
35%
7
U.S.
Germany
Approve Disapprove Don't know
GERMANY, THE U.S. AND THE WORLD
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Half in U.S., Germany Prefer Their Country to Concentrate
on Domestic Rather than Foreign Problems
Our country should …
50%
50
39%
43
U.S.
Germany
Deal with its own problems
and let other countries deal
with their own problems
Help other countries
deal with their
problems
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Younger Americans and Germans Are More Parochial
Our country should deal with its own problems and let other countries
deal with their own problems
18-29 65+ Diff
% %
U.S. 57 42 +15
Germany 54 46 +8
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Americans Want to See a More Active Military Role for
Germany; Germans Disagree
Should Germany …
37%
69
54%
25
U.S.
Germany
Play a more active
military role
Limit its
military role
THE TRANSATLANTIC TRADE AND INVESTMENT
PARTNERSHIP
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Sharp Drop in German Support for TTIP
TTIP will be __ for country
2014 2015 Change
% %
Germany
Good thing 55 41 -14
Bad thing 25 36 +11
U.S.
Good thing 53 50 -3
Bad thing 20 21 +1
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Among Those Who Think TTIP Is Bad, Americans, Germans
Differ on Why
Of those who say TTIP will be a bad thing (21% of Americans and 36% of Germans), their reasons
why a free trade agreement would be bad for their country:
50%
22
12
17%
18
61
U.S. Germany
Lead to job losses
and lower wages
Give foreign
companies unfair
advantages
Lowers food, auto
and environmental
safety standards
GERMANY, THE U.S. AND RUSSIA
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Germans: Majority Prefer Strong Ties with U.S.
Which is more important for Germany – to have strong ties with the U.S. or strong ties with Russia?
57%
21%
15%
7%
Don't know
Strong ties with U.S. Strong ties
with Russia
Equally close ties
(VOL)
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Americans Want Hard Line with Russia, Germans Disagree
The U.S. is being __ in dealing with Russia on the issue of Ukraine
The EU is being __ in dealing with Russia on the issue of Ukraine
54%
23
32%
35
4%
27
U.S.
Germany
Not tough enough About right Too tough
59%
26
22%
44
4%
18
U.S.
Germany
Not tough enough About right Too tough
DIVISIONS WITHIN GERMANY AND THE U.S.
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East-West Divide in Germans’ Attitudes
East
Germany West
Germany Diff
% %
Germany should deal with its own problems and let other countries
deal with their own problems 60 47 +13
The EU is being too tough in dealing with Russia on the issue of Ukraine
27 16 +11
The fall of the Berlin Wall is the most important event in U.S.-German relations over the last 75 years
43 32 +11
Germany should limit its military role in world affairs
77 68 +9
It is more important for Germany to have strong ties with the United
States rather than with Russia 44 61 -17
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Partisan Differences in U.S. Over German-American
Relationship
Dem Rep Diff
Americans % %
Approve of Obama's handling of U.S.-German relations
67 16 +51
TTIP is a good thing for U.S. 59 45 +14
Germany should play a more active military role
60 51 +9
U.S. is not tough enough on Russia on the issue of Ukraine
47 69 -22