Welfare state survey 1997

This survey, inquiring the Swedish people's attitudes towards the public sector and the taxes, is a follow-up of two earlier surveys conducted in 1986 and 1992. A number of questions are also similar to those put in the 1996 ISSP-survey. In the survey respondents had to give their opinion on public expences and social services: if they wanted the amount of tax money spent on a number of different areas to increase, decrease or to be kept unchanged; how to finance education, medical service, child care and care of the elderly; and best suited to take care of education, medical service, child care, care of elderly, and social welfare. Furthermore, the respondents had to state how to distribute the responsibility for financing social insurances between the individual and the public sector; how common they believe it to be that social security benefits and social care services are misused; and how well the public sector manage to maintain different services. Respondents also had to report their own as well as their family´s and friends´ experiences of social services during the last three years. Other questions dealt with the probability of being unemployed; not getting the medical care you need; not managing a month of sick leave without serious economical consequences; not affording to pay a visit to the doctor; having to move because of high housing costs; having a state pension that would not give an acceptable living standard. Respondents also had to state if they felt a need for private insurances to supplement the public welfare system. A number of questions dealt with opinions on Swedish taxes: willingness to pay more tax if the money was spent on specific areas such as medical care, support for elderly, support for families with children, social allowance, schooling, and measures for generating employment; the pressure of taxation in general, and for various income brackets; and the respondents´ judgement on total taxation for recipients of high, middle and low incomes. For a number of statements occurring in the current Swedish debate the respondents had to state if they agreed or not. Socio-economic background information include occupation, trade union affiliation, education, income, marital status, spouse´s occupation, household income, number of children, and political preference.本调研旨在探究瑞典民众对公共部门与税收的态度，是1986年与1992年两项早期调研的追踪延伸项目。部分调研问题与1996年国际社会调查项目（International Social Survey Programme，ISSP）的问题较为相似。本次调研中，受访者需就公共支出与社会服务发表看法：包括是否希望多个领域的税收投入金额提升、削减或保持不变；如何为教育、医疗、儿童照料与养老服务筹措资金；以及最适合承担教育、医疗、儿童照料、养老与社会福利事务的主体。此外，受访者需阐明社会保险筹资责任在个人与公共部门之间的分配方式；判断社会保障福利与社会照料服务被滥用的普遍程度；以及评价公共部门维持各类服务的表现优劣。受访者还需汇报近三年来自身、家人及朋友使用社会服务的经历。其余问题涉及以下场景的发生概率：失业、无法获得所需医疗服务、休一个月病假却遭遇严重经济损失、无力支付就医费用、因高昂住房成本被迫搬迁、领取的国家养老金无法维持体面生活水准。受访者还需表明是否需要私人保险来补充公共福利体系。另有若干问题围绕瑞典税收的相关看法展开：包括若税款用于医疗、养老帮扶、育儿支持、社会津贴、教育与就业促进等特定领域时，受访者是否愿意缴纳更多税款；整体税收压力与不同收入群体的税负情况；以及受访者对高、中、低收入群体总税负水平的评价。针对当前瑞典公共辩论中的若干议题，受访者需表明赞同或反对立场。调研收集的社会经济背景信息包括职业、工会隶属关系、受教育程度、收入水平、婚姻状况、配偶职业、家庭收入、子女数量与政治倾向。