ARD-DeutschlandTrend 2000

Since 1997 the ARD-DeutschlandTREND is being conducted on behalf of the ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland - First German Public Broadcasting Association) as well as various print media by Infratest dimap. The monthly telephone survey with approx. 1,000 respondents (for party preferences approx. 1,500 respondents) per wave is based on representative samples and measures attitudes of the voting-age population in the Federal Republic of Germany toward parties, politicians, and current political issues. Some topics are asked repeatedly in an identical manner over time, while other topics are included in one or several surveys only. The DeutschlandTREND is available as an annual cumulation for the years from 1998 onwards.<br>Party preference in the next federal election (Sunday question); satisfaction with selected top politicians (Edmund Stoiber, Fritz Kuhn, Friedrich Merz, Franz Müntefering, Gregor Gysi, Gerhard Schröder, Gabi Zimmer, Hans Eichel, Joschka Fischer, Jürgen Möllemann, Johannes Rau, Jürgen Trittin, Laurenz Meyer, Angela Merkel, Otto Schily, Rainer Brüderle, Renate Künast, Rudolf Scharping, Volker Rühe, Wolfgang Clement, Guido Westerwelle, Wolfgang Gerhardt, Werner Müller, Walter Riester and Wolfgang Schäuble); Germany´s medium-term nuclear phaseout is correct; Chancellor preference for Gerhard Schröder or Angela Merkel, for Gerhard Schröder or Edmund Stoiber, or for Gerhard Schröder or Wolfgang Schäuble); characteristics of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (great economic policy expertise, credible, likeable, good representation of Germany´s interests in the world, strong leader, able to cope well with international crises, great political foresight, familiar with citizens´ problems, able to make Germany fit for the demands of the future, has his party well in hand); Agreement with various statements about the FDP; satisfaction with democracy; trust in institutions (federal government, Bundestag, churches, political parties, large companies, unions, Federal Constitutional Court, armed forces, police, press, television, employers´ associations, courts); assessment of the problem-solving competence of a CDU/CSU-led federal government; party competence: most competent party to solve selected political tasks (securing old-age pensions, securing jobs and creating new ones, policy on foreigners and asylum, reliable foreign policy, energy and nuclear policy, social justice, health policy, fighting crime, debt reduction, tax policy, environmental policy, securing Germany as a business location, solving Germany´s future problems); comparison of Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel in terms of: likeability, credibility, stronger leadership, familiarity with citizens´ problems, advancing Germany´s economy, creating and securing jobs, right concepts for Germany´s future problems, social attitude, building up the East German economy, and new directions in politics; comparison of Angela Merkel and Edmund Stoiber in terms of: likeability, credibility, stronger leadership personality, advancing the economy in Germany, creating and securing jobs, social attitude, new directions in politics, advancing German unification, representing modern points of view, leading the Union out of the low mood and running for chancellor in the next federal election; conditions in Germany currently more cause for confidence or more cause for concern; assessment of the economic situation in Germany at present and in a year´s time; satisfaction with the work of the individual governing parties, SPD and Greens; satisfaction with the work of the red-green Federal Government; red-green Federal Government has found its feet after massive criticism; expectations for the future with regard to: personal standard of living, personal relief or burden from the Federal Government´s tax policy, personal opportunities in the labor market (job security or job search) and changes in personal circumstances due to the imminent eastward expansion of the European Union as well as effects of the reform of old-age provision; classification of the CDU donations affair as a problem of Helmut Kohl, as a CDU problem or a problem of all parties; CDU should distance itself from Helmut Kohl in connection with the party donations affair; preferred further behavior of the investigative committee toward Helmut Kohl (forcing disclosure of anonymous donors versus leniency); agreement with the demand for Helmut Kohl´s resignation from all political offices; credibility of CDU leader Wolfgang Schäuble´s statement that he knew nothing about Kohl´s black accounts; most affairs involving parties or politicians are uncovered versus existence of many more such affairs; agreement with various statements on the CDU donations affair; opinion on Wolfgang Schäuble´s decision to run again for CDU party chair; former Chancellor Helmut Kohl should resign his Bundestag mandate in view of the accusations; preferred course of action in the flight affair involving German President Johannes Rau; most important political problems in Germany; red-green Federal Government will achieve its goal of significantly reducing unemployment by 2002; CDU can regain its footing after the resignation of its party chairman, Wolfgang Schäuble, due to the CDU donations affair; most suitable candidate for CDU chairman (Angela Merkel, Volker Rühe or Bernhard Vogel); call for Roland Koch to resign as prime minister of Hesse after his false statement in CDU donations affair; media should continue to report on donations affair versus more on important factual issues; Friedrich Merz will be a good opposition leader after his election as chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group; CDU has regained its footing after loss of reputation due to good election results in Schleswig-Holstein; opinion on filling the party chairmanship of a large people´s party with an East German or West German; Helmut Kohl has made up for the damage caused by the party donations affair by handing over 6 million marks in donations to the CDU; opinion on the use of Stasi protocols to clarify the CDU donations affair; bringing foreign workers to Germany according to current needs versus planning for the longer term with immigration legislation; preferred use of additional tax revenues (debt reduction versus tax cuts); more likely advantages or more likely disadvantages of the Euro for the respondent personally and for the German economy; expected development of the value of the Euro up to the abolition of the Deutschmark at the beginning of 2002; best leader for the FDP (Wolfgang Gerhardt, Guido Westerwelle, Jürgen Möllemann or Rainer Brüderle); preference for continuation of the red-green coalition or for a coalition of SPD and FDP in NRW and at the federal level; basic support for a coalition of CDU/CSU and Greens; support for the Federal Government´s green card project; support for an immigration law; retention versus deletion of the right to political asylum enshrined in the Basic Law; main points of criticism for personal dissatisfaction with the work of the Federal Government; eco-tax useful in principle; reform plans presented by the Federal Government go in the right direction (pension reform, health care reform and tax reform); expected personal relief through the planned tax reform; Federal Government will reduce unemployment by 2002; CDU/CSU politician most likely to be a candidate for chancellor against Gerhard Schröder (Angela Merkel, Friedrich Merz, Edmund Stoiber or Roland Koch); opinion on PDS participation in future pension reform talks; policy areas more likely to be shaped by the SPD or the Greens (nuclear policy, tax policy, pension policy, immigration policy, health policy); opinion on an official speech by Helmut Kohl on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of reunification; opinion on an official ceremonial speech by Helmut Kohl on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of reunification; opinion on a discontinuation of the preliminary proceedings against Helmut Kohl in the CDU party donation affair; satisfaction with the Federal Government´s efforts to date in various policy areas; round trip by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the new German states as a serious effort or a superficial media event; Angela Merkel´s approach to Helmut Kohl more an expression of weakness or a sign of strength on the part of the new party leader; greater influence in the CDU: party leadership around Angela Merkel and Friedrich Merz or Helmut Kohl and his supporters in party and parliamentary group; Helmut Kohl´s misconduct in CDU party donation affair or his performance as Chancellor personally more important; combat right-wing radicalism: apply existing laws more strictly or additionally ban the NPD; Federal Government or petroleum companies mainly responsible for gasoline price increases; distance allowance and heating allowance as sufficient measures by the Federal Government to compensate for high petroleum prices; view on the continuation of the eco-tax (temporarily suspend, completely abolish or maintain as before); correct direction of the Federal Government´s pension reform plans (reduction of pension level for new pensioners and tax incentives for private pension provision); agreement with various views on the consequences of the pension reform plans for the younger generation (disadvantage of the younger generation compared to the older generation, private pension provision brings more than paying into the statutory pension insurance, standard of living in old age also secured for future generations); bringing Helmut Kohl back to the CDU as the right thing for Angela Merkel to do; reasons for dissatisfaction with the work of the Federal Government; general assessment of the Federal Government´s intended reforms in pensions, health care and the tax system (too far-reaching, not yet far-reaching enough, just right); equitable distribution of the burdens or benefits; rather strength or rather weakness of Angela Merkel by replacing her party´s secretary general; preference for suspending, abolishing or continuing the eco-tax; immigration and integration of foreigners should be a topic in the Bundestag election campaign; immigration law before the next Bundestag election in 2 years; parties should look for compromises in reform projects versus pushing through their own ideas; Union politician who should run as Chancellor candidate against Gerhard Schröder in the next Bundestag election (Angela Merkel or Edmund Stoiber); assessment of proposal by Green Party parliamentary group leader Rezzo Schlauch to secure jobs for companies in distress; agreement with statement: Eichel´s financial policy no new debts from 2006 is correct versus state may continue to incur debts if money is used correctly; opinion on abolition of the D-Mark; BSE epidemic: consumption of beef safer in Germany than in other European countries; influence on personal eating habits because of BSE; opinion on EU accession of Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary (Germany should support EU accession without restrictions, only without economic disadvantages or not at all).

Demography: sex; age; employment; occupational status; highest level of schooling; household net income.

Additionally coded were: record or pagination number; wave identifier; region (east/west); federal state; BIK community type; weighting factor.