A Soldiers Blog

Key Findings

• Iraqis in these seven cities divide on whether a democracy, an Islamic state or a mix of the two is best for Iraq?s future. But regardless of their preferences for a political system, large majorities emphasize the importance of free and fair elections, the rule of law, the right to criticize the government and inclusiveness in politics.
• The main difference between those who support a democracy and those who support an Islamic state is their views on the appropriate role of religion in politics.
• Historical experience has sullied the image of political parties, especially outside of Northern Iraq where no more than one third express confidence in parties. In addition, when asked to volunteer the name of a leader they trust most, two-thirds do not name anyone.
• In the new political environment, emerging leaders are still relatively unknown. Majorities have not heard enough to evaluate most members of the Governing Council, and religious leaders have better name recognition and ratings. But Iraqis place greater value on expertise and experience in staffing their government than they do on sectarian or ethnic interests.

Strong Consensus on Value of Free Elections and Fair Representation In all seven cities in the Office of Research poll, large majorities support what are generally considered to be democratic values. Nine in ten think it is very or somewhat important that people vote in free and fair elections (95%), that people abide by the law and criminals are punished (94%), that people can criticize the government (86%), and that major nationality (89%) and religious groups share power (87%). Majorities also value media that are independent of government censorship (78%) and rights for women that are equal to those of men (71%) [...]There is very little, if any, variation among the cities on these components, and there are only minor differences between men and women in their attitudes toward gender equity.