JRL NEWSWATCH: “Nuance in the fog: Plumbing for honesty in Russian opinion polls” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“What do Russians want? Sociologists struggle to make sense of responses to their opinion polls, knowing that opponents of the authoritarian government are reluctant to express themselves.”

“… [M]any argue that new tools and methodologies are needed to make sense of the data, due to the intense atmosphere of wartime Russia and growing state repression of people with differing views. Those methodologies include giving more prominence to respondents who seem reluctant to answer, and asking war supporters follow-up questions, such as whether they would prefer cuts to military or social spending, in order to test the depth of their conviction. … A group of largely anonymous, independent experts has attempted to construct a more nuanced picture of how Russians regard the war, their political leaders, and their attitudes toward possible peace options …. [I]t finds that … ‘core’ support for the war is just 22%, based on people who also say they would prioritize military spending and would not support any withdrawal of forces … unless military goals were achieved. The study determined that ‘core’ opposition was almost as great, at 20%, based on people who did not express support – often by choosing not to answer the question – and who also said social spending was more important than military, and who would back a peace settlement that wasn’t a full victory. …”

Click here for: “Nuance in the fog: Plumbing for honesty in Russian opinion polls; What do Russians want? Sociologists struggle to make sense of responses to their opinion polls, knowing that opponents of the authoritarian government are reluctant to express themselves.” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir

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