The British public hold a negative view of the United States currently, but are more divided on its historical role
- 10% of Britons say the US becoming independent was a bad thing
- 53% of Britons have a favourable view of George Washington, compared to only 11% with a negative view
- 28% think the USA has been mostly a force for ill in the world over the last 250 years, compared to 38% who think it has been primarily a force for good
- Six in ten Britons (60%) have a negative view of America today, but during Joe Biden’s term of office this figure averaged a much lower 39%
- 35% think that Trump has changed the face of the US, saying “the style of governing and politics in the US have been permanently changed by Donald Trump, and will not return to how they had been previously once he is no longer president”
With 4 July this year marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence saw the original 13 colonies break away from Great Britain, new YouGov data shows that few Britons still hold a grudge
Only 10% think it is a bad thing that the colonies seceded in 1776, compared to 39% who consider it an actively good occurrence. A further 26% see the breakaway in neutral terms, describing it as neither a good nor a bad thing
The original figurehead of the nation also is well-regarded in Great Britain, with 53% of Britons having a favourable view of George Washington, compared to only 11% with a negative opinion
How do Britons see America and its record today?
A quarter of a millennium on, however, the US’s reputation is tarnished on this side of the pond. Currently 64% of Britons see the US as more of a force for bad in the world, while only 9% saying it is more a force for good, and 11% say it is neither
Likewise, six in ten Britons (60%) say they have a negative opinion of America in general
However, when asked to think about the USA over its entire history, the tone is more positive. Only 28% now think the has been mostly a force for ill in the world over the last two and half centuries, compared to 38% who think it has been primarily a force for good. One in five (21%) take a more neutral stance, saying it has been neither
Attitudes to the US differ by age, gender, and politics, with young people, women, and those who backed left wing parties in 2024 more likely to hold a negative view
While a majority in all groups see the US as more of a force for bad in the world currently (with the exception of Reform voters, although even here this is still the plurality view), there is more division on America’s cumulative contribution to the world
Tories are the most likely to say that over the last 250 years the US has been more of a force for good in the world (58%), alongside 50% of Reform voters, 46% of men and 43-44% of over-50 age groups – in all cases the most common stance
By contrast, women, 25-49 year olds and Labour and Lib Dem voters are largely divided on whether the US has mostly been a force for good or bad (30-36% standing on either side of the argument), while a majority of Green voters (55%) and 49% of 18-24 year olds say that the US has mostly had a negative impact on the world.
America’s future: do Britons think Trump has changed the US permanently?
Current negativity towards the US largely reflects attitudes towards the current administration: separate YouGov research shows that 83% of Britons have a negative view of Donald Trump. While six in ten Britons may have a negative view of America today, during Joe Biden’s term of office this figure averaged a much lower 39%
That being the case, it matters a great deal how Britons think America’s future looks. One in three Britons (35%) think that Trump has changed the face of the US, saying “the style of governing and politics in the US have been permanently changed by Donald Trump, and will not return to how they had been previously once he is no longer president”
However, slightly more (42%) believe that once Trump is no longer in charge things will return to how they had been previously
See the resultshere,hereandhere
See what YouGov America has written about US public opinion for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence:
- What Americans think about the revolution, 250 years later
- Freedom is the value Americans say best represents the U.S.
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