Value Systems in Comparative Perspective

Pitzer College, Claremont CA

Investigators

Abstract

SES - 1226437 Azamat Junisbai Pitzer College Abstract Value Systems in Comparative Perspective We have long sought to understand the relationship between governments and their constituents. However, because most studies have focused on Western democracies, we have a limited understanding of how public opinion trends resonate with, and potentially shape, government actions in countries of strategic importance to the U.S. It is not clear whether we can generalize across different political systems, in particular given contemporary political conditions outside of Europe, which continue to change rapidly, and often violently. This project will conduct nationally representative public opinion surveys about social and economic inequality and the proper role of government in two Central Asian countries. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were chosen as comparative case studies, because they are of strategic importance to U.S. policy, and because their multi-ethnic, largely Muslim population makes them representative of other countries in the region. In addition to gauging current popular opinion regarding a range of economic and social policies, this study seeks to discern changes in public attitudes and expectations over time, especially in the wake of the global financial crisis. Broader Impacts Research shows that long-term political stability is associated with both autocratic regimes (whose survival is less reliant on fair elections) and with governments that maintain legitimacy by implementing redistributive policies in a range of policy arenas. Findings from this study have the potential to make an important contribution to our understanding of how formerly autocratic states can move successfully towards democratization. In addition, findings from this study may inform our understanding of how the recent financial crisis has affected public sentiments in authoritarian societies more broadly.