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of the world." Forty-four percent thought the impact was negative. In fact, in an October 1999 PIPA poll a plurality of 48% said they feel either mixed (43%) or bad (5%) feelings when they "hear about McDonalds opening up in cities around the world, or...the popularity of US TV shows in other countries." Forty-three percent had "good feelings".

At the same time, Americans reject the idea that US popular culture is a threat to foreign cultures. In October 1999 PIPA asked, "How much of a threat, if at all, do you think American popular culture, such as musie, television and films, is to the cultures of other countries in the world?" Just 24% said American popular culture was a "very serious" (7%) or "serious" threat (17%) to other countries. By contrast 33% considered it only a minor threat, and a plurality (41%) said it was not a threat at all. They may also see foreign concerns as overblown. For example, French restrictions on the showing of foreign films-the only trade restriction presented based on cultural grounds-was the only restriction a majority of Americans (54%) rejected as illegitimate in PIPA's October 1999 poll. The public certainly does not view the spread of US culture as a threat serious enough to provoke a lethal reaction. When a December 2001 by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Public Opinion Strategies offered a list of 6 potential causes of international terrorism, just 10% cited the "spreading of US culture and values" as one of their top two choices. All of the others were cited by at least 21%. [3]

A strong majority thinks US culture had a lot of impact on other countries in the 20th century, and an overwhelming majority believes it will have equal or greater influence in the 21st century. When asked in a December 1999 CBS News survey "how much impact...the United States has had on popular culture in the rest of the world" in "this past century", 70% said it had "a lot." Another 22% said it had "some" and just 6% said the impact was "not much" or "nonę at all." In the same CBS survey, nearly 9 out of 10 said the US would have either morę impact (34%) or the same impact (55%) on popular culture throughout the world than it has now. Only 20% felt the impact would be less. [4]

Impact of Other Cultures on US

When it comes to globalization bringing greater cultural influences into the US, Americans express a positive attitude. When asked in the January 2004 PIPA poll, to think about "how globalization has resulted in new ideas and cultural influences coming into the US from other countries," a strong majority of 68% regarded this as positive. Just 25% felt those influences to be negative.

In a 1998 Yankelovich poll, a near-unanimous majority (91%) agreed, "the global economy makes it morę important than ever for all of us to understand people who are different than ourselves." [5]

In May 1999, a Pew poll found that 71% of Americans agreed that cultural diversity was a "major reason" for America's success

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