Citizen Participation

NDI Poll: After the Defeat of Daesh, Iraqis Prioritise Jobs, Corruption and Government Effectiveness

Iraq - The UK Conflict Stability and Security Fund in Iraq is funding the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to conduct independent public opinion research across Iraq (download polling report). The first of six surveys has been released today.

July 3, 2018

Morocco’s Young Parliamentary Fellows Work to Advance Women’s Political Participation

It’s 8:30 AM and Fatiha* is walking into the Moroccan Parliament. In a few minutes, she’s scheduled to sit down with her member of parliament (MP) for their weekly one-on-one meeting. Fatiha plans to propose a new strategy to increase the MP’s social media visibility. By 9 AM, Fatiha is at her desk putting the final touches on a Facebook update to publicize the MP’s visit to a local market, which falls in line with her proposed new social media strategy. “I have enormously appreciated the exchanges with [my MP].

Lebanon Poll Results Following May 7 Parliamentary Elections

Lebanese voters who participated in NDI's public opinion research following the country's long-awaited parliamentary elections on May 7 signaled dramatically increased optimism about the direction of the country, and held mostly positive views about the administration of the election itself. The results indicate that Lebanese voters cast their ballots with the country's stability in mind, with the hope that this could translate into economic development and job creation, which along with corruption and healthcare remain at the top of citizen policy priorities.

Full Testimony by NDI President Ken Wollack on Democracy Promotion in a Challenging World

On June 14, 2018, NDI President Kenneth Wollack testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The hearing discussed support for democracy and human rights as an important American value and a core tenant of U.S. foreign policy. The hearing also discussed democratic backsliding and other challenges to the spread and consolidation of democracy.

Support for Democracy Remains High in Ukraine: Trends in Ukrainian Public Opinion

NDI Ukraine's latest nationwide survey (completed in December 2017) showed several important trends, including growing support for gender equality in political life. For the first time, more than half of Ukrainians (52 percent) support the equal participation of men and women – or more women than men – in political life.

January 30, 2018

Macedonia Focus Group Research Reveals At-Risk Citizens’ Expectations

Citizens At-Risk of Social Exclusion Expect More Transparency, Accountability and Support from Parliamentarians, Believe in Civic Engagement and the Importance of Advocacy Groups

November 24, 2017

In Advance of Honduras Elections, Groups Collaborate to Launch Vote for Equality Campaign

Hondurans will head to the polls on November 26 to vote in the country’s general election. On September 26 and 27 -- two months prior to this week’s election -- representatives of civil society organizations gathered in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to launch a campaign titled Vote for Equality. The campaign provides a platform for marginalized populations, pooling their efforts to advocate for equality. The campaign also publishes information on candidate platforms related to inclusion to inform voters in advance of the election.

Civic Update

To steadily improve program approaches and ensure responsiveness to the needs, interests and expectations of local partners, NDI is dedicated to learning about what works when helping citizens participate in different forms of organized political action. NDI’s programs support citizen actions that can include everything from the individual act of voting to the collective act of social-movement building, and they take place across of range of political contexts.

Read more about Civic Update

NDI Research on Opportunities and Challenges Facing Ukraine’s Democratic Transition

Several important social trends have been observed in NDI Ukraine's latest nationwide survey, completed in July 2017. These trends include growing support for gender equality in political life, rising demand for a more modern, service-based relationship between government and society, and increased willingness to participate in elections and civic activities.

Violence Against Women in Politics: Research on political parties in Honduras

Democracy, as an ideal of political organization and as a form of coexistence, has historically signaled a demand for greater equality and representation. The contemporary debate on democracy focuses on the capacity or inability of the political system to manage and represent the interests and needs of the population, considering its diversity, as well as the capacity to neutralize the historical structural expressions of inequality and discrimination towards broad sectors of the population.