J. Contemp. Politics 2022;1(2):33–41 Online ISSN: 2583-6811 J O U R N A L O F C O N T E M P O R A R Y P O L I T I C S Journal of Contemporary Politics Research Article Indian Perceptions of the US: A Study of Indian Surveys and Public Opinion Uma Purushothaman 1, * 1 Assistant Professor (Senior Scale), Department of International Relations, Central University of Kerala, Kauveri Block, Periye, Kasargod, Kerala, India ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received 18.10.2022 Revised 22.11.2022 Accepted 10.12.2022 Published 28.12.2022 * Corresponding author. Uma Purushothaman catchuma@gmail.com https://doi.org/ 10.53989/jcp.v1i2.8 ABSTRACT Te Indian public has traditionally had very little say in the making of foreign policy. However, they do have views on foreign policy and the media and elites play an important role in infuencing them. What do Indians think about the US, the most important power in the world and about the bilateral relations between New Delhi and Washington? Have the views of Indians on the US evolved over the years and what do Indians think about India’s future ties with the US? Tis article examines these questions and traces historically Indian views of the US and how they have evolved over the years. Te article uses available data from opinion polls and studies based on opinion polls. A descriptive analytical approach is used for the study. Keywords: Perception; Public opinion; USA; India; Survey INTRODUCTION Te Indian public has traditionally had very little say in the making of foreign policy. However, they do have views on foreign policy and the media and elites play an important role in infuencing them. What do Indians think about the US, the most important power in the world and about the bilateral relations between New Delhi and Washington? Have the views of Indians on the US evolved over the years and what do Indians think about India’s future ties with the US? Tis article examines these questions and traces historically Indian views of the US and how they have evolved over the years. Te article uses available data from opinion polls and studies based on opinion polls. Tis article is divided into four sections. Te frst section examines the debate on the infuence of the public on foreign policy. Section two traces Indian perceptions of the US over the years. Te third section deals with opinion polls conducted in India on foreign policy and studies based on these polls, focusing on Indian views of the US. Te concluding section analyses factors which have infuenced Indian views of the US, the demographic divide in the opinion polls and portends the future of Indian perceptions about the US. PUBLIC OPINION AND FOREIGN POLICY International Relations scholarship has witnessed much debate on the infuence of public opinion on foreign policy. Gabriel Almond (1960) through his mood theory laid a foundation for doubts on whether the public had the ability to give inputs for foreign policy. His theory suggests that © 2022 Published by Bangalore University. Tis is an open access article under the CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 33