Global Poll: Widespread Perception of Serious Lack of Political Tolerance
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds a widespread perception of a serious lack of political tolerance. Large majorities around the world perceive that people in their country are not completely free to express unpopular views; that opposition parties do not get a fair chance to express their views and influence government decisions; and that legislators have limited freedom to express views that differ from their political party's.
The poll, sponsored by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and released in conjunction with International Democracy Day, also finds overwhelming global support for the freedom of diverse political expression and, more broadly, for democracy.
WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 21,285 respondents in 24 nations that comprise 64 percent of the world's population, including most of the largest nations--China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia and South Africa--as well as Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain, France, Israel, Poland, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kenya, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, the Republic of Korea, and Palestine. The margins of error range from +/-2 to 4 percentage points. The surveys were conducted between April 4 and June 30, 2009. Not all questions were asked in all nations.
No nation has a majority saying that people are completely free to express unpopular views without fear of reprisal. Only 4 nations have majorities saying that opposition parties mostly get a fair chance to express their views and influence government. Majorities in 20 nations say legislators feel free to express views that differ from those of their party only sometimes, or rarely.
This perceived lack of tolerance contrasts sharply with overwhelming support for the freedom to express diverse political views, which is supported by majorities in all nations.
"Around the world we find a remarkable consensus that a diversity of political views should be tolerated, together with a widespread perception that such diversity is not fully tolerated in society in general, or even in the functioning of legislatures," comments Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org.
Majorities in all nations (averaging 90 percent) say it is important to live in a democratically governed country, with 67 percent saying it is very important. Among those who say it is very important to be free to express unpopular views, 80 percent also say it is very important to live in a democracy.
WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative project involving research centers worldwide, is managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland.
Source: Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland
CONTACT: Steven Kull, WorldPublicOpinion.org, +1-202-232-7500
Web Site: http://worldpublicopinion.org/
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