LAPOP report explores perceptions of the United States across the Americas

The point of departure of the latest Insight report based on the Americas Barometeris a well-known fact: “The United States has long suffered from an image problem across much of the Americas, due in large part to the many cases of U.S. involvement in Latin American and Caribbean affairs.” However, Laura Silliman, from Vanderbilt University, wonders whether “As these legacies of military and economic interventions perhaps begin to recede in the minds of Latin Americans, the question arises as to what factors influence the views of the U.S. among citizens of Latin America and the Caribbean?” The main finding of Silliman’s analysis of survey data from 2012 Americas Barometer, is that “[T]he growing levels of economic and social ties between the U.S. and some countries in the Americas are a source of more positive views of the U.S. Alternatively, citizens living in those countries with fewer direct connections to the U.S. tend to express more negative views of the U.S. This study examines these relationships and the resulting policy implications.” The link below provides access to the full report, through the LAPOP webpage.

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/IO905en.pdf