There’s a widespread belief abroad that U.S. foreign policy “will change for the better” under the next President with Barack Obama being favored over John McCain, according to a Pew Global Attitudes Project survey conducted March 17-April 21 in 21 countries. The report says large majorities in France, Spain and Germany (all in the 60 percent range) hold this view as do the African nations included in the polling (Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania, also all in the 60s percentage-wise). That view is not held among some countries in the survey. In Jordan and Egypt, among those who say they are following the campaign, more say American foreign policy will take a turn for the worse. Two-thirds of Japanese expect no significant change and a plurality of interviewees in Russia and Turkey agree with that.

Those in most of the countries surveyed say they have more confidence in Obama than McCain. Those figures were highest (with Obama notching 70 percent or above) in France, Tanzania, Germany, Australia, Japan, Britain, and Spain.