The View from the Middle East: The 2011 Arab Public Opinion Poll

2011 could go down as one of the most consequential years in modern Middle East history. Monumental changes that have swept the Arab world since January will no doubt shape the region for generations to come, altering the way citizens think about governance, politics and their lives. It is a critical time to take the pulse of the region.

On November 21, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings unveiled the results of a new 2011 University of Maryland poll. Conducted in the weeks leading up to Egypt’s historic elections, the annual poll assesses attitudes toward the United States and the Obama administration, prospects for Arab-Israeli peace, the impact of the Arab awakening, and attitudes toward where the region is headed politically. The poll also includes a special section reporting on the political mood in Egypt as the country moves closer to its first election since the fall of Mubarak. Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Shibley Telhami, principal investigator of the poll and the Anwar Sadat professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland, presented his latest research and key findings. Saban Center Director Kenneth Pollack provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion.

After the program, participants took audience questions.