COPING WITH FREEDOM AND UNCERTAINTY: PUBLIC OPINION IN HUNGARY, POLAND, AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1989–1992

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Abstract
For the first time in more than four decades, Central and East Europeans can openly voice their opinion about everything from the price of bread to the performance of the government. Public opinion has become a dynamic factor in the decision-making process of the new governments of Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia and will play an important role in determining what kind of post-communist societies develop in these countries. In an effort to explore public sentiment about what kind of society they want to develop, we analyze results from 14 nationwide, representative public opinion polls commissioned by the United States Information Agency's Office of Research between June 1989 and January 1992 in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. After tracing trends in public opinion over this period, we look at some aspects of the political culture in these countries. We then report on our preliminary attempts to understand the determinants of individual preferences for either a society that emphasizes individual freedom and responsibility (‘individual opportunities’ society) or one in which the state assumes responsibility for assuring public welfare (‘state guarantees’ society).

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