Role of Government, 2006, Norwegian part of ISSP

This survey is carried out on the basis of the research collaboration in "The International Social Survey Programme" (ISSP). ISSP is an international organisation that prepares and coordinates annual surveys in its member countries, mainly within the fields of political science and sociology. The topics of the surveys vary, but are repeated at intervals of a few years. In this way, changes in behavioral patterns and attitudes over time as well as differences between countries and cultures,
are possible to be detected and measured.

The Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) became a member of ISSP in 1989 and have since been responsible for carrying out the surveys in Norway. In connection to the survey, Norwegian researchers are invited to add supplementary questions to the Norwegian respondents.

In 2006, the objective of the survey was to collect data concerning attitudes to public authorities and government activity, compliance with laws, political and civil rights, government commitment and responsibility, government performance, political interest, social capital and corruption. NSD and ISSP conducted similar surveys in 1990 and 1996.

The Norwegian addition to the survey was prepared in 2006 in collaboration with Per Lægreid, Anne Lise Fimreite, Paul G. Roness and Harald Sætren from Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen, Harald Baldersheim, Tore Hansen and Larry Rose from Department of Political Science, University of Oslo and Per Arnt Pettersen, Bodø University College. The questions in the Norwegian part deal with government prevention and management of crises, governmental levels and interest preservation, modernising state and municipalities, trust in institutions and the attentiveness of popularly elected politicians.