President Obama plans a major speech in Cairo on Thursday to reach out to Muslims worldwide, but just 28% of U.S. voters think America’s relationship with the Muslim world will be better a year from today.

Twenty-one percent (21%) say that relationship will be worse 12 months from now, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. A plurality of voters (45%) expects it to be about the same.

Democrats are more confident than Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party that the president’s outreach efforts and his recent stressing of his Muslim roots will lessen tensions between the United States and the Muslim world.

Forty-three percent (43%) of Democrats say the relationship will be better a year from today, compared to 17% of GOP voters and 20% of unaffiliateds. One-third of Republicans (33%) believe America’s relationship with the Muslim world will be worse, a view shared by just 11% of Democrats and 20% of unaffiliated voters.

Most unaffiliated voters (55%) and a plurality of Republicans (46%) say the relationship will remain about the same, and 37% of the president’s party agree.

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Twenty-nine percent (29%) of voters identify Egypt, where the president will speak on Thursday, as an ally of the United States. Just five percent (5%) regard the 90%-Muslim country as an enemy. For most voters (58%), Egypt is somewhere in between being a U.S. ally and an enemy.

There is very little partisan disagreement over the nature of America’s relationship with Egypt, although Democrats are slightly more likely than Republicans and unaffiliated voters to view the country as a U.S. ally.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of all voters say they have followed news stories about Obama’s trip to Egypt at least somewhat closely. Only 11% say they are not following news of the upcoming trip at all.

Ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is a sticking point for improved relations between the United States and the Muslim world. In a survey in late December of last year, just 35% of voters thought Obama was at least somewhat likely to end that conflict during his presidency.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of voters now say the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror. That's the highest level of confidence found since early February.

Most voters believe America’s allies should do what the United States wants them to do rather than vice versa.

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