<http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/apr08/Iran_Apr08_rpt.pdf>
Assessments of the Government Iranians largely express satisfaction with their government. Two out of three say that Iran is generally going in the right direction, though a plurality is dissatisfied with the Iranian economy. Half say they trust the government to do what is right most of the time, while another quarter say they trust it at least some of the time. Two-thirds express satisfaction with Iran’s relations with the world as a whole. Large majorities approve of how President Ahmadinejad is handling his job at home and his dealings with other countries, though this support is considerably lower among more educated and higher- income Iranians.
The Will of the People and Governance A large majority agree that the will of the people should be the basis of the authority of government and that the will of the people should have a high level of influence over government decisions. Iranians give their government fairly good ratings in terms of responsiveness to the people, but six in ten say that the influence of the people should be greater than it is
Iranian Electoral Process Eight in ten endorse the view that government leaders should be selected through general elections. Six in ten say they are satisfied with how members of Parliament and authorities in general are elected, but few are very satisfied
Press Freedom Iranians express conflicting views about freedom of the press. Two thirds say that it is important for the press to be able to publish news and ideas without government control, and eight in ten say that Iranians should be able to read publications from other countries. However, a plurality also says that the government should have the right to prevent the publication of things that are politically destabilizing and to regulate the internet. Asked to assess the level of press freedom, few say it has a lot of freedom, while a plurality says it has some freedom. A bare majority expresses satisfaction with the level of press freedom
Women’s Rights Large majorities of Iranians endorse the principle that women should have equal rights with men and that over the course of their own lifetimes, women have gained greater rights. A large majority says that the government should act to prevent discrimination against women. A modest majority also supports the United Nations working to further women’s rights
Young Iranians, Views of Iranian Government and the United States A majority of young Iranians are supportive of the Iranian government and critical of the United States; however, the majorities holding these views are smaller than for older Iranians. Young people are a bit more supportive of press freedoms
Islamic Law Only a small minority wants to reduce the role of Shari’a in the way Iran is governed, but only one in three favor increasing its role. Only one in three favor punishing an Iranian who converts from Islam to another religion. The highest priorities in the application of Shari’a are preventing usury and providing welfare to the poor. Applying severe physical punishments is a low priority, but still endorsed by half
Iran’s Regional Role Just three in ten Iranians say that they want Iran to be the dominant power in the Persian Gulf, while half say that they want Iran to be part of a cooperative regional structure. As a general principle, about half of Iranians favor a cooperative approach in international relations. Most express satisfaction with Iran’s relations with its neighbors.
Iraq Only one in four Iranians say they want Iran to have major influence over Iraq, while half prefer Iran to be part of a cooperative regional structure to deal with Iraq. A slight majority opposes countries providing weapons to anti-US fighters in Iraq, but four in ten approve. Seven in ten favor Iran having talks with the United States over Iraq. A growing majority wants US troops out of Iraq within a matter of months. While a plurality views Iraq’s government as legitimate and have a favorable view of its president, these numbers have been diminishing