Apia, Samoa – Tuesday, 7th June 2022.
A pioneering survey of popular political attitudes in the Pacific – the Pacific Attitudes Survey
(PAS) Samoa – will be launched on 9 June 2022.
The PAS gauges the views of ordinary Samoan citizens on a range of questions related to
democracy, economics, governance, tradition, trust in institutions, climate change, social
media, and international relations.
Conducted in Samoa from December 2020-January 2021 by the National University of

Samoa (NUS), and drawing on a nationally representative sample of 1319 Samoans of voting-
age, the Pacific Attitudes Survey: Samoa report represents the culmination of a three-way

partnership between the Australian National University, the National University of Samoa, and
Swinburne University of Technology. The project was funded by the Australian Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Pacific Research Program.
While large-scale popular political attitudes surveys have been conducted globally for
several decades, the Pacific region has remained a notable exception, until now. Drawing
upon core modules of the popular Global Barometer Survey (GBS) to allow for international
comparability, the PAS also adds a host of new questions of specific relevance pertinent to
Pacific contexts.
Findings from the PAS provide an important frame of reference for key issues in Pacific
politics; including how ordinary citizens engage with and trust their political institutions, their
broader understandings of democracy and tradition, and attitudes to key issues like climate
change.
Professor Ioana Chan Mow: Partnership
“The strength of the findings in the Pacific Attitudes Survey report underlines a
genuinely collaborative and rewarding three-way partnership between ANU, SUT
and NUS.”
Professor Michael Leach: Lack of data
“The Pacific Attitudes Survey: Samoa gives voice to ordinary Samoan citizens in
comparative international debates where there has previously been a lack of
popular attitudinal data. “
Associate Professor and Head of the Depart of Pacific Affairs Julien Barbara: Future of
PAS
“The Pacific Attitudes Survey Samoa offers a glimpse into the future richness of data
that a regional popular political attitudes survey can provide. We hope to expand
the PAS to other countries in the region in the coming years”.