|
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The African Opinion Leader Survey on Nepad and AU-2002
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|
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3. Composition of the opinion leader samples
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| |
We define the elite as comprising of “those persons who hold authoritative positions in powerful public and private organizations and influential movements and who are therefore able to affect strategic decisions regularly.” 1It is through their public discourse that members of the elite shape the contours of public opinion and the dimensions of a country’s ideological spectrum. As decision-makers the elite directly influence policy outcomes and often serve as the primary feedback mechanism about the success or lack thereof of policy implementation.
A positional sample was employed to select respondents for the particular survey. Such a procedure implies that individuals holding the most authoritative positions in influential institutions are approached to participate as respondents in the survey. The sectors from which respondents were selected included the private sector; NGO, CBO, civic organizations; public sector; professional, academic or analyst; trade unions; politicians; the media and the church
(Table 1).
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Table 1: Composition of samples
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|
|
|
Sector
|
South Africa
|
Nigeria
|
Senegal
|
Kenya
|
Algeria
|
Uganda
|
Zimbabwe
|
|
No.
|
%
|
No.
|
%
|
No.
|
%
|
No.
|
%
|
No.
|
%
|
No.
|
%
|
No.
|
%
|
|
Private Sector
|
91
|
16.1
|
11
|
8.5
|
33
|
24.3
|
18
|
15.0
|
17
|
14.3
|
5
|
5.2
|
32
|
22.9
|
|
NGO, CBO
|
84
|
14.8
|
4
|
3.1
|
22
|
16.2
|
22
|
18.3
|
9
|
7.6
|
10
|
10.3
|
17
|
12.1
|
|
Public Sector
|
98
|
17.3
|
34
|
26.2
|
22
|
16.2
|
15
|
12.5
|
39
|
32.8
|
18
|
18.6
|
16
|
11.4
|
|
Professional/analyst/ academic
|
77
|
13.6
|
10
|
7.7
|
21
|
15.4
|
22
|
18.3
|
19
|
16.0
|
29
|
29.9
|
31
|
22.1
|
|
Trade Union
|
50
|
8.8
|
5
|
3.8
|
1
|
0.7
|
5
|
4.2
|
2
|
1.7
|
|
|
10
|
7.1
|
|
Politician
|
64
|
11.3
|
42
|
32.3
|
12
|
8.8
|
10
|
8.3
|
|
|
22
|
22.7
|
12
|
8.6
|
|
Media
|
49
|
8.7
|
15
|
11.5
|
12
|
8.8
|
12
|
10.0
|
27
|
22.7
|
4
|
4.1
|
14
|
10.0
|
|
Church
|
42
|
7.4
|
8
|
6.2
|
1
|
0.7
|
10
|
8.3
|
|
|
2
|
2.1
|
4
|
2.9
|
|
Other
|
10
|
1.8
|
1
|
0.8
|
5
|
3.7
|
6
|
5.0
|
4
|
3.4
|
6
|
6.2
|
4
|
2.9
|
|
Not classified
|
1
|
0.2
|
|
|
7
|
5.1
|
|
|
2
|
1.7
|
1
|
1.0
|
|
|
|
Total
|
566
|
100
|
130
|
100
|
136
|
100
|
120
|
100
|
120
|
100
|
97
|
100
|
140
|
100
|
It should be noted that, unlike public surveys, opinion leader surveys should not be used to draw conclusions about the attitudes of the whole population. Their value lies in their ability to discern particular trends amongst the most influential decision-makers in both the public and the private sphere.
The format for the remainder of this document will consist of a presentation of selected responses regarding NEPAD and the AU, derived from elite perceptions in the surveyed countries.
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Footnotes:
-
Higley, J et al (1976) Elite Structure and Ideology, New York: Columbia University Press.
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