>but the US passport is not one of the most prized passports in the world
Henley Passport Index ranks the US at #7, by a reasonable definition of "one of the most prized", I'd say #7 counts.
#1 Japan only has access to 6 more countries visa free than the US does.
Edit: The US was ranked #1 in 2006, went down to #7 by 2010, and then was back up to #1 in 2014. We're talking swinging between 185 countries with visa free access and 191 countries here, so the top 10 positions change frequently.
Henley Passport Index ranks the US at #7, by a reasonable definition of "one of the most prized", I'd say #7 counts.
#1 Japan only has access to 6 more countries visa free than the US does.
Edit: The US was ranked #1 in 2006, went down to #7 by 2010, and then was back up to #1 in 2014. We're talking swinging between 185 countries with visa free access and 191 countries here, so the top 10 positions change frequently.