Afrobarometer: Round II Survey of Lesotho, 2003

The Afrobarometer project assesses attitudes toward democracy, markets, and civil society in several sub-Saharan African nations. This survey of Lesotho recorded Lesotho citizens' opinions about recent political and economic changes within their country. Respondents were asked about their current satisfaction with economic conditions in Lesotho, how they currently obtained food to eat, what resources they relied on for safety, and how they obtained health care. They were also asked how often in the last 12 months they or their family had gone without food, felt unsafe in terms of crime, gone without medicine, or gone without shelter. Their opinions were elicited on how they compare the past and present in terms of job opportunities, the gap between rich and poor, and the availability of goods, as well as people's living standards. Respondents were also asked how often they obtained news from such sources as radio, television, or newspapers and how closely they followed what was going on in government and public affairs. Other questions involved the respondent's preference for a market- or government-run economy, free schooling versus user fees, privatized agriculture marketing versus government control and more jobs with low wages versus fewer jobs with high wages. Respondents were asked to rate the way the country was handling creating jobs, keeping prices stable, managing the economy, fighting corruption, addressing educational needs, and combating diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS. They were also asked if they trusted the prime minister, the National Assembly, the Independent Electoral Commissions, the army, and other governmental and nongovernmental institutions. Demographic information was elicited from respondents, including age, language spoken, education, and employment status.