Which of the 14 developed countries has received the most praise for its response to the pandemic?

Surveys show that most people are satisfied with their country's response to the pandemic.

Respondents who were more trusting were less likely to witness the country breaking apart.

? About 60 percent of people believe that closer international cooperation can reduce the number of infections in their country.

"How is your country doing in the face of this pandemic?"

The answer to that subjective question is reflected in a new study that documents the diversity of people's opinions around the world.

Alert: Around the world, more people like their country's response than oppose it.

A Pew Research Center survey of more than 14,000 adults in 14 advanced economies in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia found that 73% thought their countries were doing a good job in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

It's all about trust

The survey found that respondents' attitudes toward their country's pandemic response -- and its impact on national unity -- were linked to feelings of trust in others.

Of the countries surveyed, Denmark received the highest approval rating (95%) for its government's response, followed by Australia.

Public support for state action was also strong in countries such as South Korea and Canada. More than two-thirds of respondents in European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden, also expressed appreciation for government action.

But in America and Britain, things are different. These two delayed actions in the fight against COVID-19 have received less support. More than half of those surveyed in each country said they thought the country had mishandled the pandemic.

Division or unity?

There are also differences of opinion as to whether the pandemic has enhanced a sense of national unity.

Denmark proved to have the most optimistic outlook, with 72 percent of respondents believing the country has become more united in the wake of the virus outbreak. More than half of respondents in Canada, Sweden, South Korea and Australia also think their countries are more united now.

But in European countries like Spain, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands, majorities said their countries had become more divided after the lockdown -- though they were more appreciative of their response to the pandemic,

In an era of political polarization, the United States has no unified response to the pandemic, and more than three-quarters of respondents believe their country is more divided now than it was before the pandemic.

The report found that the perceived strength of national unity is linked to trust in others. In general, people who believe others can't be trusted are more likely to see their country breaking apart.

Nowhere is the national divide more pronounced than in France. Here, almost two-thirds of respondents felt that people could not trust each other, and they also felt that France was more divided than before the pandemic.

The role of global collaboration

But has this decline in national cohesion deterred countries from seeking international assistance to fight the spread of the virus? Will cross-border cooperation reduce the incidence of infections?

For most respondents, the answer is yes.

In the 14 countries surveyed, 59% of respondents believed that increased international cooperation would reduce the number of coronavirus cases in their countries.

In Europe, the average increases to 62 percent, with seven of the nine countries surveyed saying they believe in the benefits of international cooperation, and the willingness to cooperate is strongest in countries such as Belgium, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Outside Europe, the United States (58 percent) and South Korea (59 percent) were also supportive of international cooperation, the report said.

In Denmark, however, 78 per cent believed that international cooperation would not reduce the number of cases. Majorities in Australia, Germany, Canada and Japan also do not favor international cooperation in response to the pandemic.

According to Chatham House, international collaboration is a key element in the mass production of an effective vaccine to protect the global population from COVID-19. By working together, researchers, business leaders, policy makers, and other stakeholders can more quickly overcome scientific, regulatory, and market challenges to develop and distribute vaccines.