Attitudes toward the U.S. in West Germany
By Nina Obermeier
Analyzing attitudes toward the U.S. in West Germany during the Cold War provides insight into the way attitudes toward foreign policy changed over this time period. Importantly, the U.S. was not only one of the two superpowers in the world, but it was also the hegemon of the Western international order. In this way, we can take attitudes toward the U.S. as indicative of individuals’ attitudes toward U.S. leadership in international affairs and toward the U.S.-German relationship. The fact that questions about attitudes toward the U.S. were included in many USIA survey conducted in West Germany during this time period allows us to study changes in these attitudes over time. Read the full Issue Brief here.