A close look at the economies of those countries shows why: the fast-growing economies in the world in this era of globalization are developing countries that are aggressively integrating with the world economy. However, the survey also found common anxieties around the world that protesters often highlight but a majority of the polled did not blame economic integration for it.

It is increasingly clear that while this integration brings benefits, it also requires complementary institutions and policies in order to enhance the gains and cushion some of the risks of greater openness.

The Pew Center for the People and the Press surveyed 38,000 people in 44 nations, with excellent coverage of the developing world in all regions. In general, there is a positive view of growing economic integration worldwide.

But what was striking in the survey is that views of globalization are distinctly more positive in low-income countries than in rich ones.

While most people worldwide viewed growing global trade and business ties as good for their country, only 28% of people in the US and Western Europe thought that such integration was "very good." In Vietnam and Uganda, in contrast, the figures for "very good" stood at 56% and 64%, respectively.

Although these countries were particularly pro-globalization, developing Asia (37%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (56%) were far more likely to find integration "very good," than industrialized countries. Conversely, a significant minority (27% of households) in rich countries thought that "globalization has a bad effect on my country," compared to negligible numbers of households with that view in developing Asia (9%) or Sub-Saharan Africa (10%).

Developing nations also had a more positive view of the institutions of globalization. In Sub-Saharan Africa 75% of households thought that multinational corporations had a positive influence on their country, compared to only 54% in rich countries.

Views of the effects of the WTO, World Bank, and IMF on their country were nearly as positive in Africa (72%). On the other hand, only 28% of respondents in Africa thought that anti-globalization protestors had a positive effect on their country. Protesters were viewed more positively in the US and West Europe (35%).

This Pew attitudes survey is consistent with the findings from World Bank and other research on globalization. In general, the developing countries that have increased their participation in trade and attracted foreign investment have accelerated growth and reduced poverty. Uganda and Vietnam are two of the best examples, so it is not surprising that integration is viewed positively there.

More generally, globalizing developing countries are growing significantly faster than rich ones. In a paper for the World Bank, "Trade, Growth, and Poverty," Aart Kraay and I define the top third of developing countries in terms of trade integration as the "more globalized" countries.

This group has seen an acceleration of its per capita growth rate, reaching a population-weighted average of 5% annually in the 1990s. By contrast, rich countries grew at 2%, and the rest of the developing world, at - 1%. Over 3 billion people are included, for Bangladesh China, India, Brazil, and Mexico are part of this category.

The anti-globalization movement often claims that integration leads to growing inequality within countries, with no benefits going to the poor. Generally, this is not true. There are certainly some countries in which inequality has risen, like China and the US, but there is no worldwide trend.

Most important, in the developing countries that are growing well as a result of integration and other reforms, rapid growth translates into rapid poverty reduction. The total number of extreme poor (living on less than $1 per day measured at purchasing power parity) increased throughout history up to about 1980. Since 1980 that number declined by 200 million, while world population increased by 1.8 billion.

The progress is heartening, but there are still 1.2 billion people living in poverty

Notwithstanding the positive views of globalization in the developing world, the survey shows that there are common anxieties around the world concerning the availability of good jobs, job insecurity, old age support, and other quality of life issues.

Interestingly, people tend not to blame globalization for lack of progress in these areas, but rather poor governance in their own countries. World Bank research shows that openness to trade alone is not going to have much impact if that openness is not complemented by other factors like a sound investment climate -- meaning the environment of regulation, infrastructure, and financial services -- and effective provision of basic services, especially for the poor.

David Dollar as Director of Development Polity, World Bank (C) Yale Global Online. Reprinted by arrangement.