The Phenomenon of Electoral “Pillars” A Socio-Field Study in the City of Fallujah

Abstract

      One of the social phenomena that emerged from the recent general elections in Iraq is the emergence of what has become known in popular and political circles as “electoral pillars.” The most important duty of these “pillars” is to convince voters to vote for a specific candidate. A purposive sample of 50 of these pillars was selected. A descriptive analytical approach was used, analyzing the responses received through a questionnaire designed to achieve the research objectives and verify the hypotheses. The research aimed to determine the meaning of electoral pillars and the role they play in society in order to achieve electoral goals. The most important results were that 50% of the respondents — half of the sample — indicated that the reason they entered the electoral field was their conviction in the electoral program of the candidate they decided to work with as electoral pillars. The study also revealed that about 64% of the electoral pillars themselves believe that society does not have much confidence in their methods and promises, and that what they are doing is only for the purpose of securing votes for the candidate they are working with.

Fifty-four percent indicated that the election promises that most positively influence voters are those offering job opportunities, which is attributable to the target group, the majority of whom are young graduates or those still in university. Another important finding is that the most attractive factor for voters is the list to which the candidate belongs, while 48% said that the candidate's name is the most important factor for voters.