Before Israel’s recent airstrikes and ground invasion in southern Lebanon as part of the widening regional war centered on Iran and its proxies, Lebanon was already in a condition of profound structural weakness. A recent survey of 1,200 randomly selected Lebanese citizens conducted by Arab Barometer in partnership with the Middle East Consultation Group of the Munich Security Conference provides…
Palestine 2025: Views on Governance and Domestic Power Balance
Gaza War reshaped Palestinian society: priorities shifted from growth to basic services; trust mixed but satisfaction fell; civil liberties eroded. Public still values democracy yet increasingly favors a strong leader who can deliver stability. Politically, Fatah’s support has collapsed, while Hamas has maintained its base, but the largest group is the politically alienated. Social norms grew more conservative. This landscape…
Political System Preferences in the Middle East and North Africa (2023-2024)
Ultimately, these findings reveal a region that is still searching for the best system of governance. Citizens want dignity, but years of non-democratic rule have, in much of the region, not led to this outcome. Yet, the limited democratic experiments, as democracy is defined in the technical sense, have also not produced desired outcomes.
Reports
(20)Blog Posts
(4)Public Opinion in Lebanon 2021-2022
Key Findings From Arab Barometer Wave Seven: Trust in political actors is extremely low and has fallen over the last decade with the notable exception of the LAF. The economy & corruption are seen as the country’s biggest problems while there is wide concern about growing inequality. Lebanese want the government to lower the cost of living, create jobs, &…