Social Studies Lab

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United Nations

AP Government and Politics

What percentage of Americans have an unfavorable view of the United Nations?

Pew Research Center

  1. How accurate was your prediction?

  2. What most surprised you about this data?

  3. I find it interesting that about 31% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the United Nations and about that same number approve of the job President Trump is doing. Are they the same people? Explain the connection between these numbers:

  4. Take our online survey about the U.N. and then explain why you have a favorable or unfavorable view of the United Nations:

  5. What exactly does the UN do and that related to the United States?

  6. Why do you think that almost 2/3 of Americans have a favorable view of the U.N.?

  7. What is one consequence of such high American support for the U.N.?

  8. How do you think partisanship impacts opinion of the U.N.? (see above chart).

  9. How have partisan opinions on the U.N. changed over time?

  10. Why do you think Democrats and Republicans have such different views on the U.N.?

  11. Who are some of the most important government officials in the U.S. government who make policy relating to the U.N.? 

  12. How much money does the U.S. contribute the the United Nations annually and what does it get for that investment?

  13. How do you think American attitudes about the United Nations compare to other countries?*

  14. How do you imagine the following people feel about the U.N.?

  • Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

  • A Fox News anchor

  • A high ranking civil servant working in the U.S. State department

  • A journalist for the Huffington Post

  • A strong supporter of multilateralism

  • A strong supporter of unilateralism

  • Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly referred to as North Korea. Also known as "Rocket Man" by Donald Trump but not Elton John

  • President Donald Trump

  • President Barack Obama

  • An unemployed 58 year old male heterosexual factory worker in Troy, Michigan

  • A fully employed female graphic designer in Portland, Oregon

See this content in the original post

Learning Extension

Read the Pew report on attitudes towards the United Nations. And just for kicks, watch President Donald J. Trump's entire United Nations speech.

Action Extension

Contact the U.N. Ambassador, Nikki Haley and let her know what you think of the UN.

Bonus Chart*