Morocco's next political generation

As in much of the Arab world, Morocco possesses a massive number of young men and women who are reaching adulthood and entering the social mainstream, or who have done so within the last decade. This cohort of young people, which may be described as a political generation, offers the country both hope and an important challenge. It remains to be seen whether, and if so how, the emerging political generation will differ from those that preceded it, and with what implications. The present research report focuses on these questions. It seeks both to contribute some preliminary answers and to stimulate further inquiry and investigation. The first part of the paper summarises the characteristics and formative experiences of Morocco's next political generation. The second part presents the results of public opinion research carried out in Morocco in 1995–96. Data from this research are used to compare the attitudes and behaviour patterns of different age cohorts and also to examine normative cleavages within the younger generation.