Poll: World souring on Obama, American foreign policy

President Obama has seen his poll numbers slip in recent months as a lagging economy continues to dog his presidency, and now there's evidence that the president is also seeing his popularity erode around the world.

According to a new survey of more than 26,000 people in 21 different countries, support for the president's international policies is dropping. Approval of the president's handling of foreign affairs has dropped 15 points in Europe, 19 points in the Middle East, 18 points in Russia and 30 points in China, according to a new survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project.

The poll found many object to American strategy in fighting the war on terrorism, with majorities in 17 of the 21 countries surveyed saying that they disapprove of the use of drones in Middle Eastern countries.

Concern over American policy has bled into foreign opinion of the president personally, with Obama seeing slipping popularity across the board.

"Global approval of President Barack Obama's policies has declined significantly since he first took office, while overall confidence in him and attitudes toward the U.S. have slipped modestly as a consequence," the report said.

The president's popularity has dropped 24 points in China, 13 points in Mexico, 9 points in the Middle East, 6 points in Europe and a single point in Russia. While the president remains the clear favorite among Europeans for reelection — some nine in 10 French and German respondents want to see the president earn a second term — he's viewed skeptically in Middle Eastern countries like Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, where large majorities oppose his reelection. 

Still, Obama remains far more popular than his predecessor, former President George W. Bush, and by extension American policies have more of a built-in cushion. The United States is considered more favorable by 20- to 30-point margins in allies like Germany and Japan under the Obama administration. Only in two Muslim countries — Jordan and Pakistan — has approval of the United States dipped below Bush-era levels.

Also of note in the survey: a growing consensus among the international community that China has become the world's foremost economic power. But, interestingly, the Chinese themselves consider the United States to still lead the world's economy, with less than three in 10 identifying their own country as the world's economic power.

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