Poll: Muslims Positive About Globalization, Trade

Asked about "globalization, especially the increasing connections of our economy with others around the world," majorities in six of the seven publics polled say that it is "mostly good" for their country. Approval is highest among Egyptians and Nigerian Muslims (79% and 78% saying mostly good, respectively).Turkey is the only country whose support does not reach a majority (39% good, 28% bad). On average across all seven publics, 63 percent say that globalization is good for their own countries. Only 25 percent think it is mostly bad.

Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org comments, "These findings run counter to the widespread assumption that people in the Muslim world are anxious and hostile about the prospect of integration into the global economy."

The poll of 5,216 respondents was conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative research project involving research centers from around the world and managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. Not all questions were asked in every country. Margins of error range from +/- 3.2 to 4.1 percent.

Most people in these predominantly Muslim countries also have positive attitudes about international trade. Majorities or pluralities in five of six nations see international trade as good for their countries' companies. Majorities in every population polled also think trade is good for consumers (on average 63%) and for their own standard of living (on average 56%).

Views of the effect of international trade on their country's workers and the environment are more mixed. On average across the six populations, 44 percent say international trade has a bad effect and 42 percent saying it has a good effect on the environment.

However most respondents express interest in addressing the negative effects of trade on the environment and workers; robust majorities support requiring minimum standards for protection of the environment and workers in international trade agreements (84%, and 80%, on average).

For more information, visit http://www.WorldPublicOpinion.org.

SOURCE Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland

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Copyright © 2009, NewsBlaze, Daily News

Tags: ,EDU,HED,FOR,POL,SVY,REL,PIPA-poll-Muslims

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