Afrobarometer: Round I Survey of Lesotho, March-June 2000

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. Respondents were asked how often they attended meetings of organizations such as church groups, local self-help associations, and trade unions. Their opinions were elicited on who they felt was responsible for providing schools, creating jobs, building houses, and reducing crime. They were asked what came to mind with the word "democracy" and whether they could identify their country's Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, District Development Committee member, or their representative on the community or urban council. Respondents were also asked how often they got news from such sources as radio, television, or newspapers and how closely they followed what was going on in government and public affairs. Respondents were asked to rate the way the country was governed under the military government, the current system of government with regular elections in which everyone can vote and there are at least two political parties, and the political system of the country as they expected it to be in ten years time. They were asked how interested they felt the Prime Minister was in what happened to them, how much of the time they could trust the Prime Minister, and their overall approval of the Prime Minister. Respondents were asked the same questions regarding Parliament and local government. In addition, those polled were asked about their awareness of the government's Structural Adjustment Programme and the effect it had on the way they lived their lives. They were also asked if they participated in such activities as the 1998 national elections, attending an election rally, or writing a letter to a newspaper. Demographic information was elicited from respondents, including age, language spoken, education, and employment status.