Zogby poll of Iran
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1147
July 13, 2006
Inside Iran—Exclusive Reader’s Digest / Zogby International Poll of
Iranians Reveals a Society in Flux
While Iran’s nuclear program grabs headlines around the world, a new
Reader’s Digest-Zogby International survey reports that Iranians
(41%) said reforming their national economy so it operates more
efficiently is more important than nuclear capability. A smaller
number, 27%, said the country’s top priority should be to develop an
arsenal of nuclear weapons, and 23% said the top goal for their
government should be to expand the freedoms of its citizens.
These and other opinions were documented in a wide-ranging survey of
Iranian citizens that revealed a sharp diversity of views consistent
with a nation that is undergoing profound changes. The survey, which
focused on a variety of subjects, including nuclear and regional
politics, America, Israel and other nations, and cultural issues,
included 810 Iranian adults, and carries a margin of error of +/- 3.5
percentage points. The results are included in exclusive reports on
Iran published in the August issue of Reader’s Digest magazine. Full
results can be found online at rd.com and zogby.com.
“The Zogby poll presents a fascinating glimpse into public opinion in
this vitally important part of the world,” said Conrad Kiechel,
Editorial Director, Reader’s Digest International Editions. “The
evening headlines typically frame the views of world leaders, but
this survey provides an illuminating picture of what citizens are
saying – and believing.”
The poll revealed a country divided on many issues, although united
on the role that Iran should play in the region. Iranians said they
believe their country should lead the region “diplomatically and
militarily” – 56% supported this view, and only 12% said their
country should not be the dominant regional power. Nearly equal
percentages of respondents want Iran to become more secular and
liberal (31%) as want the country to become more religious and
conservative (36%).
On one question, Iranians showed almost total agreement, regardless
of age or gender. When asked if the state of Israel is illegitimate
and should not exist, 67% agreed and only 9% disagreed.
Despite tensions between the United States and Iran, most Iranians –
nearly two thirds – said they don’t believe that the two countries
will go to war in the next decade.
Iranian men were more interested than women in making the economy
work better. Among men, 47% said the economy should be a top
government priority, while just 33% of women agreed. The older the
respondent, the less important they considered development of a
nuclear arsenal.
A majority said they would be willing to suffer through a bad economy
if that were the price the country had to pay to develop its nuclear
program. Also, 25% said they would blame the United States if the
United Nations imposed nuclear-related sanctions, although nearly 40%
said they were not sure whom to blame. Only one in six would blame
Iran’s own government. If their country were to develop nuclear
weapons, 25% said it would make the Middle East a safer place, but
35% disagreed with that statement.
When it came to their view of the United States, there was a split
between the generations. Older Iranians were much more likely to
admire the American people and society than younger Iranians. John
Zogby, President and CEO of Zogby International, hypothesized that
this generational split may be due in part to the lack of exposure to
Americans over the past two decades.
Younger and older Iranians would favor a more conservative, religious
society, while those aged 30–49 said they would favor a more liberal,
secular culture. What is striking is that just 15% said Iranian
culture should stay just the way it is right now. Women were more
likely than men to say they wanted a more liberal, secular society.
Among those Iranians with Internet access, 41% said they wanted a
more religious culture, compared to 33% who said they wanted a more
secular society.
“The poll illustrates the impact of 25 years of separation,” said
Zogby. “The attitudes of younger Iranians toward the government,
people and policies of the United States have been shaped by years of
isolation, largely conservative religious leadership, and anti-U.S.
rhetoric. This group is consistently more negative in its attitudes
towards Americans and the American government than are older
Iranians. However, new technology, including satellite television and
the Internet, could be used as tools that connect young Iranians with
other nations in the region, and the West.”
Those technologies – Internet access and satellite TV ownership –
appeared to influence attitudes among Iranians, as did gender.
Iranians with access to the Internet or satellite TV were
significantly more likely than their “unconnected” compatriots to
identify the United States as the country they admire the most. They
were also significantly less likely to pick the U.S. government as
the one they admire the least: one in three Iranians without Internet
access (34%) chose the United States as least admired, compared with
fewer than one in five Iranians with Internet access (18%), the poll
shows.
The American government also appeared to attract more admiration from
Iranians who favor a more secular or liberal direction for Iran.
Zogby International is a leading polling firm with experience in 65
countries and worldwide reach. It specializes in survey research in
hard-to-reach areas, including Africa, the Middle East and China. As
an industry leader, it continues to develop innovative solutions in
opinion research, including its interactive polling division, using
online technology to generate accurate results in many American
political elections. Zogby has offices in Utica, N.Y., Washington
D.C., and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. (NYSE: RDA) is a global
publisher and direct marketer of products that inform, entertain and
inspire people of all ages and cultures around the world. About 80
million people in more than 60 countries read Reader’s Digest, the
largest-circulation magazine in the world. It is published in 50
editions, and in 21 languages. The company’s corporate website is
www.rda.com.
For a detailed methodological statement on this latest poll, please
follow this link:
http://www.zogby.com/methodology/readmeth.dbm?ID=1129