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WASHINGTON: As Barack Obama prepares to take office on January 20, hopes are high that he will be able to successfully tackle the country's crises.
Not least among the problems he will inherit is America's tarnished reputation abroad.
President George Bush has record low approval ratings at home, and the country faces similar disapproval abroad.
But many believe the president-elect is just the man to reverse that.
Even before he was elected, Barack Obama was treated like a superstar during his closely-watched international tour.
Over a hundred thousand spectators flocked to hear him speak in Berlin and he was widely praised by international leaders and the public.
Now as he prepares to enter the White House, he comes face to face with the harsh reality - that in the past decade, the United States has become less and less popular abroad.
During the 1990s, views of the US were predominantly positive, but by 2007, things had taken a turn for the worse.
According to the BBC World Service Poll, 51 per cent of countries surveyed said the US had a mostly negative influence on the world.
Under George Bush's administration, the US has faced increased international criticism over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, nuclear advances in Iran and North Korea, and more recently, the global financial crisis.
But many believe Barack Obama is the man who could change that.
"The elevation of Barack Obama to the presidency is a stunning setback for America's enemies. The picture their propaganda has painted of an arrogant and imperial power does not fit well with the face or voice of America's new commander in chief," said former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Indeed, his election on November 4 was welcomed by leaders around the world.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: "This is what Europe is hoping for. We want to work hand in hand with America as two friends who share the same values and convictions."
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "I wish that there will be a brighter future on terms of Turkey-United States relations."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said: "We hope that our partners, the new US administration, will make a choice in favour of full-fledged relations with Russia."
Initial goodwill will not ensure him an easy tenure - Barack Obama inherits a host of problems, both at home and abroad.
"I think one of the first things President Obama needs to do is… he needs to show that the United States wants to be part of the multilateral system," said Albright.
And he will have to work hard to re-establish traditional sources of international respect for America.
Both domestically and internationally, the expectations for president-elect Obama are enormous, but whether or not he eventually lives up them, Obama's election has already taken America one step closer to restoring its standing in the international community.
- CNA/yt
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