Trajectories of Political Development and Public Choices in Turkmenistan

Because of its closed system of governance, Turkmenistan remains one of the most closed societies in the world. Very little is known about political and economic developments in the country and even less information is available about the attitudes of ordinary citizens to various aspects of socioeconomic life of the country. This article attempts to analyze and, where appropriate, interpret the views of the population on the political aspects of their everyday lives using the data of the social polling conducted in Turkmenistan in autumn of 2005 for the AsiaBarometer project. Results of this social polling reveal several trends. First, the nature of relations between the government and the people has not changed much since independence. Second, people's desires and hopes are closely connected to the improvement of their well-being. Finally, the potential for democratization and the desire for change among the Turkmen population are waiting for an opportunity to reveal themselves.

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