Anti-Americanisms in World Politics

Is anti-American sentiment as rampant as it seems' In their new edited volume, Anti-Americanisms in World Politics, international relations scholars Peter Katzenstein and Robert Keohane bring together a distinguished group of social scientists to consider how much anti-Americanism there is, and whether, in fact, anti-Americanism is any one thing at all. The plural 'anti-Americanisms' in the book's title reveals its core insight: Anti-Americanism is not a single, unitary phenomenon.... Too often commentators who have written on anti-Americanism make do with anecdotal evidence: The burning of an American flag, or a chilly electoral climate for politicians who are seen as kowtowing to United States interests, are taken as signs that anti-Americanism is on the rise. By contrast, most contributors to the Katzenstein and Keohane volume rely on quantitative evidence from large-scale social surveys. Two especially noteworthy findings emerge. First, fewer people around the globe hate the United States than might be imagined.... Second, in most countries, anti-Americanism involves more distrust than outright bias. The distinction is crucial. Where there is distrust, people may be skeptical of US motives and claims, but are open to considering the American point of view.

-- Neil Gross * Boston Glo