Widening partisan differences in views of America's global standing Which of these statements best describes your opinion about the United States? (%) U.S stands above all other countries in the world U.S is one of greatest countries, along with others
Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 19% of adults under 30 say there are other countries that are superior to the U.S. In contrast, just 4% of Republicans 50 and older take this view.
Views of how the U.S. compares with other countries have long been divided along partisan lines. But these differences have widened in recent years as Democrats have become more likely to say there are other countries that are better than the U.S. In telephone surveys, the share of Democrats saying this is higher than at any point since the question was first asked by Pew Research Center in 2011, and there has been a corresponding decline in the share saying the U.S. stands above other nations.
Views among Republicans and Republican leaners have held steadier. (It’s important to note that there is a mode effect on this question. Regardless of partisan affiliation, Americans appear less likely to say the U.S. stands above other countries – and more likely to say other countries are better than the U.S. – in surveys conducted online than by phone.)
Widening partisan differences in views of America's global standing  | Which of these statements best describes your opinion about the United States? (%)  | U.S stands above all other countries in the world  | U.S is one of greatest countries, along with others  | Other countries ware better than ULS  | Among Rep/Lean Rep  | Among Dem/Lean Dem  | American Trends Panel  | American Trends Panel  | 2019  | 40  | 51  | 2019  | 10  | 58  | 31  | Phone data  | Phone data  | 2019  | 46  | 49  | 2019  | 15  | 55  | 27  | 2017  | 41  | 52  | 2017  | 19  | 60  | 20  | 2015  | 2015  | 59  | 18  | 42  | 47  | 10  | 23  | 2014  | 2014  | 36  | 54  | 8  | 23  | 62  | 14  | 2011  | 2011  | 31  | 59  | 8  | 47  | 47  | 5  | Notes: Don t know Refused and other volunteered responses not shown  | Source: American Trends Panel online survey of U.S adults conducted Sept 3-15, 2019; 2019 phone survey conducted Sept. 5-16, 2019  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 