Political Challenges: Expectations and Changes 2011-2014

This chapter compares and combines key background information from political history and non-survey data with people's perceptions as captured in surveys, to explore trends in people's perceptions and political preferences before and after the Uprisings. This data suggest that people across all three countries are committed both to the idea of democracy and to its parliamentary institutional form, but that they have a more expansive understanding of democracy which includes social and economic rights. Furthermore, people's attitudes on the relationship between religion and politics shows that while most identify as religious and do wish to see a stronger relationship between religion and legislation, substantial majorities do not trust religious leaders and do not want them to influence voting or government decisions.