Politbarometer 1987 (Cumulated Data Set)

The Politbarometer has been conducted since 1977 on an almost monthly basis by the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen on behalf of the Second German Television (ZDF). Since 1990, this database has also been available for the new German states. The survey focuses on the opinions and attitudes of the voting-age population in the Federal Republic on current political issues, parties, politicians, and voting behavior. From 1990 to 1995 and from 1999 onward, the Politbarometer surveys were conducted separately both in the newly formed eastern and in the western German states (Politbarometer East and Politbarometer West). The separate monthly surveys of a year are integrated into a cumulative data set that includes all surveys of a year and all variables of the respective year. Starting in 2003, the Politbarometer short surveys, collected with varying frequency throughout the year, are integrated into the annual cumulation.<br>January: Satisfaction with democracy; interest in politics;
direct election participation or absentee ballot in the next Federal
Parliament election; party preference (first and second votes as well
as rank order procedure); behavior at the polls in the last Federal
Parliament election; point in time and certainty of one´s voting
decision; sympathy scale for the federal parties and selected top
politicians; preference for Federal Chancellor; assessment of economic
recovery and the share of the Federal Government in this development;
assessment of the most active election campaign helpers among the
parties; attitude to the FDP and the Greens remaining in the next
Federal Parliament and assessment of the chances of the two parties to
obtain seats in the next Federal Parliament; attitude to an absolute
majority of one party; preferred government coalition; assumed election
winner.

February: The right people in leading positions; party preference
(Sunday question, rank order procedure); election participation and
behavior at the polls (ballot procedure) at the last Federal Parliament
election; sympathy scale for the political parties and selected
politicians; assumed performance by the SPD given a candidacy of
Lafontaine as top candidate at the last Federal Parliament election;
satisfaction with democracy in the Federal Republic; issue relevance;
attitude to Strauss and Lambsdorff taking over a Bonn government
office; attitude to a coalition of the SPD with the Greens; upper
income limit for noticeable tax relief; assumed effects of the tax
reform on one´s own financial situation; attitude to the income tax
maximum rate; interest in an inexpensive season ticket to the movies.

March: Satisfaction with democracy in the Federal Republic; party
preference (ballot procedure and rank order procedure); election
participation and behavior at the polls (ballot procedure) at the last
Federal Parliament election; sympathy scale for the political parties
and selected politicians; the right people in leading positions;
judgement on the intent to disarm of the USA and the Soviet Union;
trust in Reagan and Gorbachev; willingness to participate in the
census; judgement on the necessity of the census and concern for data
misuse; assessment of the AIDS danger; attitude to regular compulsory
check-ups for recognition of presence of AIDS infection; attitude to a
compulsory registration by name for AIDS patients by doctors; attitude
to an encrypted compulsory registration; attitude to smoking at work;
smoker.

April: The right people in leading positions; party preference (ballot
procedure and rank order procedure); election participation; behavior
at the polls in the last Federal Parliament election (first and second
vote); sympathy scale for the political parties and selected
politicians; satisfaction with the government coalition and opposition
in Bonn; judgement on current personal and general economic situation
and its expected development next year; willingness to participate in
the census; judgement on the necessity of the census and concern for
data misuse; judgement on the union demands for introduction of the
35-hour work week plus 5% more wage or salary; attitude to achievement
of these demands through strike; judgement on the employer offer;
preference for shorter working hours or higher income; assumed
reduction in unemployment from the 35-hour work week; time of last
reading a book.

May: Satisfaction with democracy in the Federal Republic; party
preference (Sunday question and rank order procedure); election
participation and behavior at the polls (ballot procedure) at the last
Federal Parliament election; sympathy scale for the political parties
and selected politicians; satisfaction with the government coalition
and opposition in Bonn; judgement on the security of peace in Europe;
trust in Reagan and Gorbachev; preferred orientation of federal policy
on the USA or personal concepts; attitude to the simple and double zero
solution; assessment of the willingness of the USA to defend Europe in
case of a double zero solution; attitude to troop withdrawal from both
German nations; attitude to reunification of the two German nations
into a neutral country; assumed military superiority of East or West;
willingness to participate in the census and concern for data misuse;
assumed necessity of nuclear power.

June: The right people in leading position; party preference (Sunday
question and rank order procedure); election participation and behavior
at the polls (ballot procedure) at the last Federal Parliament
election; sympathy scale for the political parties and selected
politicians; satisfaction scale for the government coalition and
opposition in Bonn; issue relevance; judgement on the current general
economic situation and its expected development next year; judgement on
the tax reform; freeway use; judgement on driving behavior on German
freeways regarding driving speed; attitude to a speed limit on
freeways; preferred maximum speed limit; preference for shorter time
worked each week or more vacation; comparison of personal time in
school with current demands in school.

August: Satisfaction with democracy in the Federal Republic; party
preference (Sunday question and rank order procedure); behavior at the
polls in the last Federal Parliament election; sympathy scale for the
political parties and selected politicians; satisfaction scale for the
government coalition and opposition in Bonn; attitude to Erich Honecker
and his visit to the Federal Republic; expectations of the visit of
Honecker; attitude to reunification; personal preference in the dispute
between Geissler and Strauss about the political course of the CDU/CSU;
attitude to a nation-wide CSU; necessity of a new party;
self-assessment and classification of the political parties on a
left-right continuum; work orientation.

September: The right people in leading positions; party preference
(Sunday question and rank order procedure); behavior at the polls in
the last Federal Parliament election; sympathy scale for the political
parties and selected politicians; satisfaction scale for the government
coalition and opposition in Bonn; issue relevance and issue competence
of the current Federal Government as well as of a possible SPD-led
government; sympathy scale for Honecker; development of relations
between the two German nations; judgement on the tax reform and assumed
group with a higher relief; perceived support for Kohl by the CDU and
for Vogel by the SPD; perceived support of the government coalition by
CSU and FDP; trust in Gorbachev; judgement on the security of peace in
Europe since assumption of office by Gorbachev; assumed military
superiority of East or West and personal feeling of threat; judgement
on German-Soviet relations and attitude to their extension; watching
television; marriage to one´s first love.

October: The right people in leading positions; party preference
(Sunday question and rank order procedure); behavior at the polls in
the last Federal Parliament election; sympathy scale for the political
parties and selected politicians; satisfaction scale for the government
coalition and opposition in Bonn; satisfaction with democracy in the
Federal Republic; perceived changes in the style of political conflict;
issue competence of the current government coalition as well as of a
possible SPD-led government; judgement on the tax reform and assumed
group with a higher relief; tax reform and tax equity; consent with the
financing of the tax reform; judgement on the conduct of CDU, FDP and
SPD as well as journalists after the state parliament election in
Schleswig-Holstein; comparison of personal time in school with the
current demands in school; comparison of teacher activity in the course
of time; judgement on support for talent in the Federal Republic.

November: The right people in leading positions; party preference
(Sunday question and rank order procedure); behavior at the polls in
the last Federal Parliament election; sympathy scale for the political
parties and selected politicians; satisfaction scale for the government
coalition and opposition in Bonn; issue competence of the current
government coalition and of a possible SPD-led government; judgement on
the tax reform and assumed group with a higher relief; consent with the
financing of the tax reform; knowledge about the meaning of the term
subsidy; judgement on the tax reform regarding reduction in subsidies;
attitude to an intensification of criminal law regarding
demonstrations; judgement on the conduct of the CDU in the Barschel
affair; assumed interest of the Kiel CDU in a complete explanation of
the affair; assessment of the AIDS danger; attitude to regular
compulsory check-ups to identify the presence of AIDS infection;
attitude to a compulsory registration by name for AIDS patients by
doctors; attitude to an encrypted compulsory registration.

December: Satisfaction with democracy in the Federal Republic; party
preference (Sunday question and rank order procedure); behavior at the
polls in the last Federal Parliament election; sympathy scale for the
political parties and selected politicians; satisfaction scale for the
government coalition and opposition in Bonn; judgement on current
personal and general economic situation and its expected development
next year; trust in Reagan and Gorbachev; judgement on the concessions
of the USA and the Soviet Union regarding elimination of medium-range
missiles; judgement on the efforts of Reagan and Gorbachev for the
disarmament treaty; judgement on the security of peace in Europe after
signing of the treaty; judgement on the military strength of the USA
and the Soviet Union after elimination of medium-range missiles;
personal feeling of threat; interest of the USA and the Soviet Union in
further disarmament measures; judgement on the year 1987 and expected
development of the year 1988; preferred government in
Schleswig-Holstein.

Demography: Age; (month and year of birth); sex marital status; size
of household (over 18); school education; occupational position ;
occupational group; employment; state examination or diploma;
respondent is head of household; occupational position and occupational
group of head of household; union membership; religious denomination;
frequency of church attendance; party inclination; party
identification; characterisation of residential surroundings;
Bundesland; city size.

Interviewer rating: City reference number; place of work; date of
Interview.