Support for globalization is strong throughout the world. Seventeen countries plus the Palestinian territories were asked if globalization was "mostly good or mostly bad" for their country. In every case positive answers outweigh negative ones.
"These findings clearly show that publics in both the developed and developing worlds view globalization and international trade as net positive forces," says Christopher Whitney, executive director for studies at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. "This may strengthen the political will to further deepen trade through market liberalization."
The highest support is found in countries with export-oriented economies: China (87%), South Korea (86%) and Israel (82%). In the United States, 60 percent think globalization is mostly good. There is an even stronger consensus that trade helps national economies. Respondents in 14 countries were asked whether trade was good or bad for their economy. In all of them, majorities reply that it is good. Majorities in nearly all of the countries polled also consider trade good for their country's companies, consumers and their standard of living.
But respondents around the world express concern about the effect of trade on the environment. In four countries, the idea that trade is bad for the environment is the most common view: France, the United States, Argentina, and Russia. Opinion is divided in Armenia, Mexico and South Korea.
There is also concern about the effect of trade on employment, especially in more developed countries. Eighty percent of French respondents believe trade has a negative impact on job security in their country and 73 percent think it is also bad for the creation of jobs. In the United States, 67 percent consider trade harmful for US workers' job security and 60 percent call it detrimental for job creation.
