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Overview
The Afrobarometer is an independent, non-partisan, survey research project that measures the social, political and economic atmosphere in sub-Saharan Africa.
On average, across the 15 countries in Afrobarometer Round 2 (2002-2003):
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Economically, the present mood is somber, but people are optimistic about the future;
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Africans do not distinguish clearly between personal and national economic circumstances;
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They define poverty less in terms of shortages of income than in terms of getting enough to eat;
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Feeling trapped between state and market, Africans say they prefer a mixed economy;
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Even so, their policy preferences tilt toward state intervention and away from free markets; and
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After two decades of economic reform, people are more dissatisfied than satisfied.
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Culturally, Africans value equality but also express an emergent individualism;
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Stirrings of citizenship are evident, but Africans still see themselves as the clients of "big men";
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People worry about being victims of crime and having nowhere to turn for help;
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Africans abhor violence and attribute social conflict to causes other than ethnic differences;
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More than half of all adults interviewed complain of health impairment, including AIDS; and
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On the people's development agenda, unemployment is the top problem requiring attention.
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Politically, Africans continue to prefer democracy and reject authoritarian rule;
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They are still learning about the functions of democratic institutions, especially political parties;
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People trust the executive branch of government more than its representative institutions; and,
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While only moderately satisfied with the way democracy actually works, they presently intend to stick with it.
Regarding the state:
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Africans express an overly rosy view of the diminished capacities of the African state;
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Even under democracy, they find state institutions to be largely unresponsive to their needs;
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People continue to perceive more official corruption than they actually experience; and
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While they say they respect the law, they doubt that political elites do so.
In terms of institutional performance:
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Africans view the management of the national economy in a moderately positive light;
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Government performance on education is regarded as better than its record on food security;
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Most African presidents, but less so legislators, receive enviable approval ratings;
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Most people think they are better off politically since transition to a competitive electoral regime.
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