We are approaching a decade of formal democracy in Afghanistan. What is the state of democracy in the country? To what extent do Afghans support democratic institutions and the state more generally? Are there differences between attitudes toward national and local governing institutions? What role does informal governance play? This talk will examine results of a large mixed-methods research project in Afghanistan that explores individual attitudes toward the state and other political institutions in the country. In addition to a nationally-representative survey, the research also used semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to understand how Afghans conceptualize democracy and other issues related to governance in the country. Professor Murtazashvili will also draw on interviews conducted during the summer of 2012 where she interviewed dozens of government officials as part of a U.S. government strategy assessment of subnational governance in the country.

All are welcome to join and bring a lunch or snack!