A year after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak and a few weeks ahead of historic presidential elections, a new nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project finds that Egyptians remain upbeat about the course of the nation and prospects for progress. Amid rancorous debates over the election and the shape of a new constitution, most Egyptians continue to want democracy, with two-in-three saying it is the best form of government. However, Egyptians also want Islam to play a major role in society, and most believe the Quran should shape the country's laws. In fact, a growing number see Islam as playing a major role in the political life of the country – 66% currently compared with 47% in 2010. At the same time a larger minority expresses reservations about religion's increasing influence in politics. By a margin of 61% to 17%, Saudi Arabia is seen as a better model than Turkey for the role of religion in government. However, most also endorse specific democratic rights and institutions that do not exist in Saudi Arabia, such as free speech, a free press and equal rights for women. The survey of 1,000 Egyptian adults, conducted between March 19 and April 10, 2012, also finds: - Democracy: Egyptians continue to voice confidence in democracy. Two-thirds consider it preferable to any other kind of government, while just 19% say in some circumstances a non-democratic form of government may be best, and just 13% believe it doesn't really matter what kind of government rules the country. Roughly six-in-ten (61%) think democracy is best-suited for solving the country's problems, while only 33% say a leader with a strong hand would be better equipped for dealing with these challenges. - National Mood: Egyptians believe the country is currently headed in the right direction, with 53% saying they are satisfied with the way things are going in the country. This is down from 65% in 2011, but still considerably higher than in the final years of the Mubarak era. - Economy: About eight-in-ten (81%) say improving economic conditions should be a top priority. Just 27% describe the country's economic situation as good, down from 34% in 2011. Still, on balance, Egyptians remain optimistic about their economic future: 50% expect the economy to improve over the next 12 months, only 20% think it will worsen, and 28% believe it will stay about the same. - Parties and Organizations: Some seven-in-ten Egyptians express a favorable view of the Muslim Brotherhood, down just slightly from 75% a year ago. Most (56%) also have a positive opinion of the Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). The more conservative al-Nour fares less well: 44% have a favorable and 44% an unfavorable view of the Salafist party. The Egyptian Bloc, a mostly secular coalition of political parties, is not popular – just 38% assign it a positive rating. - Leaders: Presidential contender Amr Moussa receives overwhelmingly positive marks, with 81% expressing a positive opinion of the former foreign minister and Arab League chief. Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi is also well-regarded (63%), although his favorability rating has fallen from last year's 90%. Ayman Nour, founder of the liberal al-Ghad party and a critic of the military, receives high marks (61%), as does moderate Islamist presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh at 58%. The public expresses less favorable opinions about both Hazem Salah Abu Ismail (52%) and Mohamed ElBaradei (48%). - United States: The survey finds little change in Egyptian perceptions of the United States. Only 19% offer a positive rating of the U.S. and just 29% express confidence in President Obama. Egyptians overwhelmingly believe the U.S. is exerting little influence on the current political situation. ** This article is published with permission from the Pew Research Center.
