Measuring the Pulse: German-American Relations on the Mend?

In late November, a new survey on the German-American relationship conducted by the Pew Research Center and the Körber Stiftung was released. After elections in both countries and a transfer of power in the U.S. earlier this year, the bilateral relationship appears to be on the mend. Large majorities in the U.S. and Germany believe that the relationship between their two countries is good. In a marked change from 2020, Germans are now much more likely to name the U.S. as an important partner on a number of key issues – including the environment and trade. However, despite an improvement in opinions about the relationship, few Americans name Germany as their most important foreign policy partner.

In addition to focusing on the bilateral relationship, the survey looks at German and American attitudes on how to best address the challenges posed by China, Russia, and Afghanistan; the impact of digitalization; and, the use of military force.

Join the American Council on Germany for a discussion of the survey results with Julia Ganter, the Editor of the Körber-Stiftung’s The Berlin Pulse, and the Associate Director of Global Attitudes Research at the Pew Research Center Jacob Poushter – which will be moderated by ACG Board member Dr. Charles Kupchan, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University.

Julia Ganter is Program Manager for International Affairs at the Körber-Stiftung, and the Editor of The Berlin Pulse, the foundation’s annual foreign policy publication.

Prior to joining the Körber-Stiftung, she coordinated the Task Force for Protecting Europe from Economic Coercion at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). She gained previous work experience in the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, the GIZ in Brasília, the German Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa), from NGO-work in Brazil and as editor of the monthly magazine Lateinamerika Nachrichten.

Ms. Ganter holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University Berlin, and the University of Potsdam.

Jacob Poushter is an associate director at Pew Research Center. He is an expert in international survey research and writes about international public opinion on a variety of topics, including the international image of the United States and perceptions of global threats. He is also responsible for designing survey questionnaires, managing survey projects, analyzing data, and developing topics for the annual Global Attitudes Survey.

Mr. Poushter received a master’s degree in international affairs from American University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Williams College. He is also an author of studies on global attitudes of cultural change, views of the American-German relationship, and contrasting opinions among elites and the American public. He regularly talks about the Center’s findings in print and broadcast media and has been featured on Bloomberg TV and CTV, as well as in other international media outlets. He has also traveled to Canada, Europe, and Asia to explain the Center’s work and has participated in numerous presentations and panels in Washington, DC.

Moderator: ACG Board Member Dr. Charles Kupchan is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University in the Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Government. From 2014 to 2017, he served as special assistant to the president and senior director for European affairs on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) in the Barack Obama administration. He was also the director for European affairs on the NSC during the first Bill Clinton administration.  Before joining the Clinton NSC, he worked in the U.S. Department of State on the policy planning staff.  Previously, he was an assistant professor of politics at Princeton University.

Dr. Kupchan is the author of Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World (2020), No One’s World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn (2012), How Enemies Become Friends: The Sources of Stable Peace (2010), The End of the American Era: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Geopolitics of the Twenty-first Century (2002), Power in Transition: The Peaceful Change of International Order (2001), Civic Engagement in the Atlantic Community (1999), Atlantic Security: Contending Visions (1998), Nationalism and Nationalities in the New Europe (1995), The Vulnerability of Empire (1994), The Persian Gulf and the West (1987), and numerous articles on international and strategic affairs.