Iran: Trust in Family, Distrust in Government

The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s comprehensive public opinion report “The Fourth Wave of the National Polling of Values and Views of Iranians” still remains classified, but following the leak and publication of Chapter 8 of the book, “Religious Views and Practices” by BBC Persian February 20, two more chapters have surfaced online. The latest leaks document what most observers already know: Iranians trust their families and distrust their government.

• February 26: IranWire, a London-based news site, released Chapter 3, “Family Values,” and Chapter 16, “Public Trust and Social Capital.”
  • Findings of the chapter on “Family Values” include:
    • 3% “agreed” and 7% “totally agreed” that husbands and wives should be friends prior to marriage
    • However, 88.5% of respondents opposed premarital sexual relationships
    • 6% of respondents were opposed to an unmarried couple living together
    • 8% of respondents opposed physical punishment of children
  • Findings of the chapter on “Public Trust and Social Capital” include:
    • 7% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 24% “limited trust” in official television and radio channels
    • 1% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 31.6% “limited trust” in Iran’s state-censored newspapers
    • 4% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 29.8% “limited trust” in Iran’s state-censored online media
    • 8% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 28.6% “limited trust” in Iran’s Parliament
    • 3% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 25.7% “limited trust” in the judiciary
    • 7% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 26.3% “limited trust” in the Cabinet
    • 2% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 28.9% “limited trust” in the municipality
    • 6% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 17.1% “limited trust” in the Law Enforcement Forces
    • 5% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 16.2% “limited trust” in the Islamic Republic of Iran army
    • 6% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 17% “limited trust” in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
    • 3% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 23.2% “limited trust” in the clergy
    • 3% of respondents have “very limited trust” and 32.5% “limited trust” in politicians
    • Concluding the chapter, the respondents were asked, “In your opinion, how much trust do people have in each other?,” and 27.1% of respondents said “zero,” and 54.1% said “limited”

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