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The First Wave
In its first phase, the Arab Barometer (AB) carried out
nationally representative Democracy Barometer surveys in
Morocco, Algeria, Kuwait, Palestine (West Bank and
Gaza), Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen during 2006, 2007 and
2008. The Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) also conducted
its own first wave of national surveys in four
countries, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Morocco, in
2006-2008. These surveys, conducted through
face-to-face interviews, included questions on a wide
range of topics pertaining to governance, political life
and political, social and cultural values. A total of
some 10,000 respondents were interviewed. Country and
regional comparative reports, in addition to thematic
analyses, were published and are available on this
website as well as
ARI’s website.
Following
the public release of the AB survey data in 2009, the
Arab Barometer was designated as the best new data in
comparative politics by the American Political Science
Association. Professor Mark Tessler of the University
of Michigan and Professor Amaney Jamal of Princeton
University accepted this prestigious award on behalf of
the Arab Barometer Steering Committee.
In addition to providing data with which to assess
pubic opinion in the Arab world, the Arab Barometer and
Arab Reform Initiative undertook to share the results of
its surveys through publications, reports, briefings,
press conferences and public presentations. Outreach
and dissemination activities include presentations to
various audiences not only in the Arab world but also in
the United States and Europe.
The Second Wave
The Arab Democracy Barometer has now entered its second
phase of the project. The Arab Barometer team has
joined in partnership with the Arab Reform Initiative to
launch the national surveys in at least ten of the
following Arab countries: Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon,
Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, Mauritania, Syria, and Iraq. The second wave of
surveys seeks to measure and track over time citizen
attitudes, values, and behavior patterns relating to
pluralism, freedoms, tolerance and equal opportunity;
social and inter-personal trust; social, religious and
political identities; conceptions of governance and an
understanding of democracy; and civic engagement and
political participation.
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Arab Barometer Project
Steering Committee Members
Amaney Jamal (Princeton
University)
Bassma
Kodmani (ARI)
Khalil
Shikaki
(Palestinian Center
for Policy and Survey Research PSR)
Mark
Tessler (University of Michigan)
Country Team Leaders
Ali Abdel Lateef (Qias - Saudi Arabia)
info@cpmo.com.sa
Abdenasser
Al-Jabi (Algeria)
abdenasserdjabi@yahoo.fr
Daghir Al-Munqith (IIACSS
– Iraq) munqith_daghir@iiacss.org
El-Mogiera Al-Sayed (SPSC
- Sudan)
elmogieraalsyed@yahoo.com
Fuad Al-Salahi
(Sana’a University – Yemen)
alsalahi_fuad@yahoo.com
Mohammad Almasri (CSS
– Jordan)
masrikhatib@gmail.com
Mohammad Abdel Rabi (Hassn
II University – Morocco)
abderebbimhammed@gmail.com
Rabih Habr
(Statistics Lebanon – Lebanon)
rabih_hafer1@hotmail.com
Waleed
Ladadweh (PSR
– Palestine)
waleed@pcpsr.org
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Importance of the Project
There has long been dearth of systematic and rigorous
empirical research on public opinion in the Arab world.
The recent expansion of political attitude research in
Jordan and Palestine is a notable exception. More
generally, however, far too little is known about the
nature, distribution, and determinants of the political
orientations of ordinary Arab citizens.
Information about the political attitudes and values of
Arab men and women is important for scientific inquiry,
for the promotion of democracy, and to dispel the myths
and stereotypes that hinder mutual understanding and
cooperation. More specifically, the absence of this
information has contributed to three kinds of
deficiencies. First, there has been little opportunity
for the views of ordinary citizens about governance to
play a role in the promotion of democracy. Second,
there has been little scientific information with which
to examine the conventional wisdom about the so-called
“Arab Street,” particularly in Western societies.
Third, the experience of the Arab world has made no more
than a minor contribution to scholarly research that
seeks to develop theoretical insights about citizen
attitudes and behavior that are applicable across
countries and world regions.
The project will provide
data for theory-driven scholarly inquiry and will create
a
database that
will be of great importance to both academics and policy
makers who are interested in measuring cross-nationally
and over time the normative and behavioral orientations
of ordinary men and women in the Arab world. In
addition, ARI and the Arab Barometer will carry out
specific policy outreach
activities designed to share findings and insights with
decision-makers as well as various members of civil
society and the general public in order to inform
policies and programs.
Survey Topics
While the methodological aspects will remain largely the
same as during the first wave, the second wave of
surveys will dedicate additional resources in order to
expand on the sets of themes treated, including conflict
and violence, and gender. Resources will be dedicated
towards understanding the ways in which conflict and war
have structured the attitudes and beliefs of ordinary
citizens. This will be carried out by conducting the
surveys in conflict areas (Palestine, Iraq, and Lebanon)
in order to compare data to other non-conflict Arab
states. In this round, we will also ask questions about
Iran, possible intra-societal friction at the
country-level, and more specific questions about the
impact of war and conflict on the daily lives of
citizens across the region.
The
following is a list of topics covered in the two waves:
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Support for Democracy
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Support for Political Islam, Understandings and
interpretations of Islam
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Support for globalization and economic integration
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Political interest, political knowledge and
political efficacy
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Evaluations of regimes, regime types, and political
institutions
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Civic engagement and associational life
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Tolerance and respect for diversity
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Perceptions of foreign role in democracy promotion
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Political and social identity
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Interpersonal trust
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Religiosity, religious observance and religious
attachments
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Attitudes toward the U.S., other countries, and
Western culture
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The status and roles of women and gender relations
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Assessment of personal and national economic
circumstances
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Conflict and war
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Inter-societal and Inter-societal violence and
conflict
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Security
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Evaluation of the provision of public services
(health, education) as well as well as the
distribution of natural resources (water, gas) and
management of revenues (oil)
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