This research was funded by the Human Rights and Governance Fellowship Program (HRGGP) of the Open Society Institute. This time was marked by drastic changes in the country's political landscape.
The Sample and methodology
Results
The size of the households varied from to members, mostly households consisted of four members, 3.6% of the respondents reported that a family member works abroad. In response to questions about effective methods of political engagement, 6.8% preferred participation in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 4.3% chose to act through Georgian media, and only 0.8% thought they were effective at local authorities can appeal.
Democracy Building
Another pillar of liberal democracy, equality under the law, is not respected in Georgia according to 70.9% of the population. 38.7% of the population did not think that municipal elections would be fair (8.% expected fairness and 33.0% could not answer the question).
Governance
To rate the success of the government after the "Rose Revolution", respondents were asked to classify the actions in one of four ways: successful, unsuccessful, nothing changed or difficult to answer. Repairing roads, building the army and stabilizing the electricity supply, withdrawing Russian military bases, improving the international image of Georgia were considered the biggest successes of the government, while overcoming poverty, improving the economy, conflicts in Abkhazia. and Ossetia, Improving health services, protecting human rights remained the biggest failures. In addition to rating the government's activities over the past two and a half years, respondents were asked to rate the most recently listed activities.
Only two activities – organizing patriotic youth camps (69.3%) and introducing a new social assistance system (59.0%) were rated as successful by more than half of respondents. According to more than half of respondents, five activities had failed: investigation into the Girgvliani case (64.%), solving the prison unrest (6.0%), the issue of leasing forests for 50 years (58.%), attempts to introduce ATMs in marketplaces (54.6%) and actions against rally participants (53.5%). Not only were the population's views on existing and potential problems studied, but also on possible ways to improve the situation.
Increasing wages and pensions (74.6%), improving relations with Russia (55.3%) and changing the government were chosen with the greatest weight. Respondents were also asked to rate the effectiveness of possible future government actions by indicating whether the policy would be right or wrong. Regaining control over Abkhazia and Ossetia and returning displaced people to their native homes is undoubtedly the biggest problem facing the Georgian state. There are suggestions that the state may use force to solve this problem.
External orientations
Countries that Georgia can rely on in case of emergency, the population's support for the country's desire for EU membership. Respondents were asked to choose from among the eight countries listed three that Georgia could rely on in the event of an accident. It should be noted that the EU was not listed as a separate entity in the 003 study.
The fact that the country's population appears to have a strong pro-Russian orientation while pursuing policies of pro-Western development is clearly an issue that requires deeper research and analysis. From the 2006 survey, the presidents of five countries were also represented in surveys 00 and 003, although in Georgia and Azerbaijan the actual leaders differed (Georgia was led by Edward Shevardnadze and Azerbaijan by Geidar Aliev). Respondents were asked to indicate their attitudes toward seven presidents by choosing one of three options: like, dislike, or hard to say.
Mikhail Saakashvili, Victor Iushchenko and George Bush were the most popular presidents, the least popular were Robert Kocharian, Vladimer Putin and Ahmed Sezer.
Poverty
The most common sources were salary (5.3%), pension and state subsidies (47.5%) and income from the sale of agricultural products (0.4%). 8.8% reported having business premises, 7.5% had some type of appliance that the household used to generate income, 4.5% had a car and .% had a plot of land that the household used for commercial purposes. The self-identification of a household as "poor" is associated with the monthly expenses of that household per person.
The share of those who do not consider themselves poor, but spent less than GEL 50 (49.5%), and those who spend between GEL 5 and 00 is 9.%. Assets are correlated with the share of employed members of the household (chi-square 8.6; df 3, p<00), a higher share of employees is observed among "poor" households. Share of household members with regular incomes in households defined as "poor" and "non-poor".
"Poor" and "non-poor" differ in their assessment of the changes that have occurred in the last year/3 years, as well as in their expectations of future economic changes in their households. 49 Also, more "non-poor" have assets and capacities for doing business, although the ownership of such capacities is quite low in both groups. 318 people from "poor" families fell ill, a much smaller share, and 73.% did not visit a doctor for financial reasons.
Country events
The majority limited themselves to citizens of Georgia, while some listed individuals of other nationalities (eg, President George W. Bush, President Vladimir Putin, and George Soros). President Saakashvili was mentioned most often with 76.9%, Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze had 6.0% and President Bush 4.5%. People who have the greatest influence on the events in Georgia. Respondents were asked to select the 5 most important events of the past two decades.
Attitudes and Values
Respondents were also asked whether they were satisfied with various elements of their lives. People were generally satisfied with their family relationships and their location and were less satisfied with their family income. A comparison of 003 and 006 suggests that people are more satisfied with their living location, but they are less satisfied with employment and family income.
There is an increased polarization on issues of housing (with an increase in both satisfaction and dissatisfaction), and increased uncertainty regarding the situation in the country and general satisfaction with life (with higher percentages answering that it is 'difficult' to say '). Unfortunately, only one third of those surveyed (3.4%) believe that their progress will be the result of hard work (55.% do not think so and .5% are unsure). When asked to choose three different skills needed for advancement, out of 7 choices respondents listed foreign language knowledge (7.7%), computer skills (66.4%) and useful links (44.6%) as the most important chosen.
Member of NM Economic knowledge Age under 30 years Useful links Computer skills Knowledge of foreign languages. Respondents were also asked to choose from the listed characteristics that are necessary for obtaining a high position in the state institution. Professional knowledge, moral strength, patriotism, intelligence and level of foreign education were the most chosen traits.
A Different Perspective
Although the supporters of different parties do not differ in the assessment of the need for popular participation and independence to influence the government, they differ in the perception of how much the government takes public opinion into account (Chi-square 88., df=4 , p<.00). Statistically significant differences were found between the three groups in their assessment of the threats. Poverty, relations with Russia, Abkhazian and Ossetian conflicts and population decline, as mentioned above, are rated as the biggest problems facing the country.
While poverty is named as the number one problem by all three groups, the second priority for National Movement supporters is the conflicts, while supporters of the opposition and Undecided identify relations with Russia. Members of the National Movement dominate the list of ten least liked politicians of OPS (9) and U (8), but are also present in the list of NMS (5). The information programs of Public Television and Rustavi are more trusted by the supporters of National Movement than members of the other two groups.
The difference was also revealed in relation to the perception of the qualities and skills necessary for the advancement of the operator in general. To look at key survey issues from an age perspective, respondents were placed into three age groups: 7-34 (first), 35-54 (second) and 55 and over. (the third). 73.5% of the older generation is worried about relations with Russia, compared to 70.6% in the middle age group and 6.5%.
Conclusions
Supporters of the leading party, the National Movement, opposition parties and those with no political preferences do not differ in age composition, but they do differ in their evaluation of the economic condition of their households. Supporters of the National Movement evaluate the actions of authorities differently and much more favorably than supporters of the opposition parties and those with no clear preference. Although the positions of the opposition supporters and of undecideds are much more similar than of National Movement supporters.
Improving infrastructure is seen by many as one of the new government's key achievements. Resolving the frozen conflicts with Abkhazia and Osseti is one of the government's prerogatives. Conflicts are considered by the population to be one of the country's most important problems, but more and more people consider the military settlement of these disputes completely unacceptable.
Furthermore, there is a clear social division between supporters of the national movement and the rest of the public. On the other hand, the survey proved the continued popularity of the Georgian president and recognized the achievements of the authorities in the fight against corruption, infrastructure development and military building. Such optimism is unchanging and persistently reflected in opinion polls of the Georgian population, and could be considered the country's fortune.
