Tackling Biases and Bubbles in Participation: Survey for Decision-Makers 2020

The survey charted the social and political opinions of the Finnish elite. The respondents included members of the political, economic, administrative, research, and media elite. Topics of the survey included the social security system, climate policy, employment policy, immigration, potential ways to revitalize the economy, social activity, and views on democracy. The data were collected as part of the 'Tackling Biases and Bubbles in Participation' (BIBU) research project, which examines how economic restructuring changes citizens' and decision-makers' political capacities, interests and emotions. First, the respondents' views on employment and the economy were examined with questions on, for example, the retirement pipeline, earnings-related unemployment allowance, job alternation leave, working hours, and adult education allowance. Further questions surveyed the respondents' opinions on the social security system, the coronavirus pandemic, and government debt. The respondents were also asked whether they agreed or disagreed with several statements relating to climate policy. Next, the respondents were asked in what ways they had participated in political decision-making in the past two years and how often they were in contact with other decision-makers (e.g. the Prime Minister, local government officials, management of foreign companies). The most important goals of the contact with other decision-makers (e.g. maintaining networks, sharing information) were also examined. Finally, views on different groups of people, such as the poor or the rich, were examined, and the respondents' opinions on the political participation of Finnish citizens were surveyed. Background variables included the respondent's gender, year of birth, marital status, level of education, income, weekly working hours, to which elite group the respondent belonged, trade union membership, political party preference, position on a left-right political scale, and family's income during the respondent's childhood.