What the World Thinks of U.S. Elections

Less than two weeks from now, Americans will head to the polls to elect the next president of the United States. As President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney go into the final stretch of their campaigns, it's a tight race to the White House.

Opinion polls are tracking how citizens will likely cast their vote on Nov. 6. But what does the rest of the world think about U.S. elections?

The international community is watching closely, though a survey done in June by the Pew Global Attitudes Project indicates there is less interest in this year's election than four years ago. Compared with that time, the next U.S. president will have to deal with major changes in how the rest of the world sees America. According to the Pew survey, which took a look at 20 representative countries, the global financial crisis led many to perceive American economic power in decline and China taking that top spot. And when it comes to military power, there is a widespread perception that the United States does not consider the interests of other countries and acts unilaterally.

A more recent survey of 21 countries found higher approval ratings for President Obama than Gov. Romney. The BBC World Service opinion poll, conducted between June and September, indicated an average 50 percent preference for the current president and just 9 percent for his Republican challenger. A majority of people surveyed in all countries preferred that the incumbent win the election, except in Pakistan which favors Romney.

For more on this, we turn to the network of digital reporters stationed around the globe for ABC News and Univision News. From London to Nairobi and points in between and beyond, they look at the world's perceptions of U.S. elections and the issues that matter most for their regions.