Teaching Comparative

International public opinion

If you want your students to include public opinion in their study of government and politics, remember that Angus Reid Global Monitor is a very good aggregator of poll results from all over the world.

For instance, here are some recent poll results that might be relevant to your students. Point them to the results and ask them to discuss or write about the meaning of the statistics.

Calderón Tenure Starts at 58% in Mexico

"Mexican president Felipe Calderón begins his six-year term with positive numbers, according to a poll by Ipsos-Bimsa published in El Universal. 58 per cent of respondents approve of Calderón’s performance..."

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Tory Leader Cameron Loses Steam in Britain

"Public support for a Conservative government headed by David Cameron fell this month in Britain, according to a poll by Populus published in The Times. 35 per cent of respondents would vote for the Cameron-led Tories in the next general election, down four points since January.

"Conversely, 34 per cent of respondents would support the Labour party under current chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown, while 16 per cent would vote for the Liberal Democrats, led by Menzies Campbell. 15 per cent of respondents would support other parties..."

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A Third of Russians Back Medveded in 2008

"Deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev is the early frontrunner in Russia’s presidential race, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 33 per cent of respondents would vote for Medvedev in the 2008 election, up nine points since October.

"Defence minister Sergei Ivanov is second with 21 per cent, followed by Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky with 14 per cent, and Communist Party (KPRF) leader Gennady Zyuganov also with 14 per cent..."

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Americans, Iranians Find Common Ground

"Many adults in the United States and Iran believe most people in the West and the Islamic world have similar needs and wants, according to a poll by Knowledge Networks for the Program on International Policy Attitudes. 56 per cent of Americans, and 54 per cent of Iranians, believe it is possible to find common ground..."

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Chinese Worried About Growing Wealth Gap

"Many adults in China express concerns about inequality, according to a poll published in China Youth Daily. 80.7 per cent of respondents believe the imbalances between the wealthy and the poor need to be corrected, while 14.1 per cent think there is no need for change..."

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Europeans Who Use Euro Are Dissatisfied

"Residents of Italy and France are particularly disappointed with the common European currency, according to a poll by Harris Interactive published in the Financial Times. 77 per cent of Italian respondents and 76 per cent of French respondents say the introduction of the Euro has had a negative impact in their economies..."

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Some Europeans Question Newest EU Members

"Some adults in five European Union (EU) member nations question whether Bulgaria and Romania will be helpful to the continental group, according to a poll by Harris Interactive published in the Financial Times. 44 per cent of respondents in Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Germany view the entry of these two nations in a negative light..."

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While opinion polling results from Nigeria seem few and far between, Nigeria is included in the Afrobarometer polling.

A recent Afrobarometer paper that is valuable for teaching about Nigeria's political culture is Performance and Legitimacy in Nigeria's New Democracy, July 2006. It includes analysis of polling results on questions like the desirability of democracy, the satisfaction with democracy, the evaluation of elected officials' performance, the trust in institutions, the perceptions of political liberties, and the extent of democracy in the country.

Labels: public opinion

posted by Ken Wedding @ 10:27 AM