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The 2008 US presidential election was a ´global event.´ Across the world, countries felt they had a major stake in this election. This study investigates the perception of the candidates, the issues, and the importance of the 2008 election from abroad and discovers that these shared perceptions amount to a ´world view´.

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The US Presidential Election in 2008: An Introduction to a ´Global Event´; M.Maass Mexico: Between Skepticism, Hope, and Disillusion; T.Cieslik The 2008 Presidential Election: The View From Venezuela; L.Burns Brazil: Between Continuity and Change; J.Pontes Nogueira & K.M.Kenkel Admiration Reborn: The British View of the US Presidential Election; A.Quinn Oh La La: Obamania à la Fran‡aise; R.Anand Russian Perceptions of the 2008 US Presidential Election: A Case for General Optimism or ´Russian´ Optimism?; J.Dwyer & P.Lentini Israeli Views on the US Presidential Election: Between Perception and Reality; R.Olesker Palestine´s View of the 2008 US Presidential Election; M.Masad How the UAE and the Gulf Region Viewed the US-American Presidential Election in 2008; K.Christie The Iranian Perspective on the US Presidential Election of 2008; G.Cheng Pakistan and the US Election in 2008; M.Ahmar Chinese Views of US Presidential Election; S.Han & J.Kai Japan and the US election; R.Dujarric A ´Global Event´ With Global Stakeholders: Obama´s Election and the ´Idea´ of America; M.Maass

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MATTHIAS MAASS is Visiting Fellow in the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore.

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