Abstract:

There was no history of polling in Iraq prior to 2003. a census existed but there was no social nor opinion research available. the hazard of ongoing violence and bombing meant that it was nigh on impossible for those trying to understand Iraqi’s to move outside the Green Zone – a fortified area still present today in the heart of Baghdad. establishing some type of polling function was therefore vital if those running the campaign wanted to understand what the ordinary Iraqi felt about the future of their country. that was in april 2003 and more than three years later and having the benefit of carrying out more than 50 polls, we want to demonstrate the advantages and difficulties of polling in Iraq and then quantify what people really thought both then (post conflict) and now.