Such toleration is not universal or unlimited, however: In several countries, a majority of respondents believe the government has the right to limit certain political and religious views.

Rights of Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Large majorities in all countries polled believe that "people of different races and ethnicities should be treated equally," with the highest levels of support recorded in Mexico (94 percent), China (90 percent), United Kingdom (87 percent) and Kenya (80 percent). (The U.S. figure was 79 percent). India had an exceptionally high proportion (30 percent) who responded that an employer should be allowed to reject jobseekers on the basis of race or ethnicity (though a plurality did oppose such practices). In addition, only in India did less than half of the public favor government action to "ensure that racial and ethnic minorities are treated equally."

Economic and Social Rights

Large majorities in every country say their government should be responsible for taking care of the poor and for ensuring that citizens can meet their basic needs for food, healthcare, and education. In a 2008 WPO poll of twenty-one countries, an average of 87 percent of populations surveyed agreed that the government should ensure that citizens have access to a minimum amount of food, and no country varied significantly from this support. Although below the global average, a robust three-quarters of Americans (74 percent) agreed.

Freedom from Torture

As the U.S. Congress continues to debate a new terrorist detention bill with controversial provisions including "mandated military custody for certain al-Qaeda suspects...and the extension of onerous restrictions on the release or transfer of detainees held at Guantanamo," it is also valuable to consider public attitudes on torture and the treatment of detainees.

Globally, solid majorities, including in the United States, support having international rules against torture. However, publics including the U.S. population, are more divided in the case of terrorists who have information that could save innocent lives.

A 2009 WPO poll that inquired what torture techniques should be permissible "if the detainees know details about future attacks in the United States" recorded the following results among Americans:

Majorities opposed forcing the detainee to take stressful positions (50 percent), using threatening dogs (60 percent), exposing the detainee to extreme heat and cold (61 percent), making the detainee go naked (70 percent), holding the detainee's head under water (77 percent), punching or kicking the detainee (82 percent), and applying electric shocks (79 percent). However, views were divided on bombarding the detainee with loud music and two methods--sleep deprivation and keeping a hood over detainee's head for long periods of time--received modest majority support (53 percent and 54 percent, respectively).

U.S. support for whether torturing suspected terrorists is ever justified has actually risen in recent years. In a May 2009 AP/Gfk poll, 52 percent considered that it can be justified, while a May 2011 poll of the same question registered an 8 point increase in support to 60 percent (in the immediate aftermath of the killing of Osama bin laden). On the other hand, only 37 percent of Americans support "allow[ing] law enforcement officials to hold people suspected of links to terrorist organizations in jail without bail for an unlimited amount of time."