State Election in Thuringia 2019

Assessment of parties and politicians. Attitude towards political issues.

Topics: Most important political issues in Thuringia; intention to participate in the state elections; intended type of election (polling station or postal vote); party preference (first and second vote); security of one´s own voting decision; interest in the state election; importance of federal politics for one´s own voting decision at state level; voting behaviour in the last state election; coalition preference; attitude towards participation of CDU, Die Linke, SPD, AfD, Greens and FDP in state government; preference for a party elected by Die Linke vs. state government led by the CDU (Split A); opinion on the formation of a government with the Left and with the AfD excluded by the CDU in Thuringia (Split B); sympathy scale for selected parties at federal and state level (Split A); Satisfaction with the performance of the state government from the Left, SPD and Greens, with the Left, SPD and Greens as parts of the state government, with the opposition parties CDU and AfD and with the performance of the federal government from CDU/CSU and SPD (Scalometer, Split B); Sympathy Scale for top politicians Björn Höcke, Angela Merkel, Mike Mohring, Bodo Ramelow and Wolfgang Tiefensee; party that performs best or second best; political interest; Split B: preference for Bodo Ramelow or Björn Höcke or for Bodo Ramelow or Mike Mohring as prime minister (Split A: preference for Bodo Ramelow or Mike Mohring or for Bodo Ramelow or Björn Höcke); comparison of the credibility, sympathy and expertise of the two top politicians Ramelow and Mohring (Split B); assessment of the own economic situation, the economic situation of the federal state in general and in comparison to the other east German states; Split A: most competent party to solve the economic problems in the federal state, for a better infrastructure in the areas of fast internet, public transport, medical care and shopping facilities, in the area of school and education policy Split B: in the areas of job creation, social justice and climate protection (end of split); party that is most likely to make a policy on foreigners in Brandenburg in the sense of the respondent; party that is most likely to take care of the concerns and problems of East Germans; opinion on the future viability of the federal state; most competent party to solve future problems of the federal state; assessment of the work of Minister President Bodo Ramelow; Split A: opinion on a state government of Die Linke, SPD and Greens or from CDU, SPD and Greens; opinion on a minority government (end of split A); split B: opinion on a state government of Die Linke and CDU led by Die Linke, of CDU and Die Linke led by the CDU, as well as on a state government of CDU, SPD, Greens and FDP (end of split B); election of the AfD because of political content or as a reminder to other parties; AfD voters: Voting decision for the AfD in the state election because of political content or as a reminder for other parties; opinion on selected statements on politics in Thuringia: Split A: Die Linke in government has brought Thuringia forward in recent years; AfD is the only party to name the important problems; SPD in the federal government responsible for the poor performance of the SPD in Thuringia; complicity of the AfD in right-wing extremist violence due to its positions and statements (end of Split A); Split B: the East Germans are treated like second-class citizens; Thuringia can be economically successful even without the CDU in the state government; much more important issues in Thuringia than climate change; AfD state chairman Björn Höcke is a danger to democracy (end of split B); opinion on the spread of right-wing extremist ideas in the AfD; fair share in the standard of living.

Demography: sex; age (classified); education: school leaving certificate or desired school-leaving certificate; completed university studies; professional activity; job security; occupational status and characteristics of current or previous activity; household size; number of persons in household aged 18 and over; trade union member in household; denomination; party affiliation; party identification; city size.

Additionally coded: questionnaire number; eligibility to vote in Thuringia; weighting factor.