Across countries and regions, the middle class is more likely to embrace more secular and more tolerant principles. Among the 13 countries in this study, religion was generally less important in the personal lives of middle class respondents, and they were less likely to say that believing in God is a prerequisite for a moral […]
Just as concern about energy dependence has become widespread, so too have unfavorable views of Russia and its Prime Minister Putin.
by Erin Carriere-Kretschmer, Senior Research Associate, Pew Global Attitudes Project and Katie Holzwart, Research Analyst, Pew Global Attitudes Project As Russian and Ukrainian leaders squabbled over gas supplies in late 2008 and early 2009, Eastern Europeans farther down the pipeline went without heat. European Commissioner Jose Manuel Barroso called the dispute “most unacceptable and incredible,” […]
The 2007 Pew Global Attitudes survey found that people who have achieved middle class income status are generally more inclined to embrace key democratic principles than those who are less well-off. In many countries surveyed, more middle-income than lower-income earners considered honest multiparty elections, a fair judicial system, a free press, free speech, and freedom […]
Overall, the Pew Global Attitudes analysis of middle-income countries found a linkage between economic prosperity and life satisfaction. To gauge life satisfaction, respondents were asked to place themselves on a “ladder of life,” where zero represents the worst possible life and 10 the best possible life. Middle-class respondents consistently gave more positive ratings to their […]
Views on Democracy, Religion, Values, and Life Satisfaction in Emerging Nations
Since Communism’s Fall, Social Trust Has Fallen in Eastern Europe
Russians Prefer Strength in Their Leader, Economy over Democracy
Overall, many publics are somewhat more satisfied with the state of their countries than they were five years ago. In the 35 nations where trends are available, the number of people satisfied has increased in 21, declined in nine, and remained basically unchanged in five. The greatest improvement is found in Bangladesh, where 75% currently […]