ANN ARBOR—Anti-American sentiments by Europeans isn?t a short-term reaction to President George Bush?s policies since Sept. 11, 2001, but feelings that preceded the founding of the American republic, a University of Michigan researcher contends.

The European antipathies toward America reach beyond the conventional confines of politics, said Andrei S. Markovits, the Karl W. Deutsch Collegiate Professor of Comparative Politics and German Studies. Indeed, they manifest themselves in virtually every aspect of daily life, from sports to law; from education to health; from urban planning to affirmative action, he says.

“Europeans are joining in an ever louder chorus of disdain for America,” Markovits said. “Europeans deride America not so much for what it does, but because of what it is.”

In his new book, “Uncouth Nation: Why Europe Dislikes America,” he said the atmosphere in Europe has been in an anti-American overdrive, in part due to President George W. Bush’s unilateral policies culminating in the war on Iraq. To many Europeans, Bush has become the ideal object of hate?the “ugly” American: Bow-legged, ill-spoken, aggressive, inconsiderate and uncouth, he said.

“The current dislike for America in Europe would not have attained the sharpness and ubiquity without the underlying, century-old agenda of America being uncouth. Bush is an ideal foil for such sentiments,” he said.

The feelings of resentment won’t end economic ties or keep Europeans from buying American-made products, Markovits said. But Europe won’t go out of its way to further its political or business alliances with the United States, he said.

While Europeans are far apart in terms of their daily lives and shared experiences, not being American provides them with a powerful common identity?one that political leaders have already begun to harness in their quest to construct a unified Europe which is to rival America, Markovits said.

Markovits profile