Autumn Study 1981

Judgement on parties and politicians. Political attitudes.

Topics: judgement on the economic situation in the Federal Republic
and assessment of further development next year; judgement on one´s own
financial situation; most important political events in the last year;
party preference (ballot procedure); personal change in party voted for
since 1949; behavior at the polls in the Federal Parliament election
1980; most important political tasks in the Federal Republic and issue
competence of the parties; satisfaction with the government coalition
and opposition; preference for expenditure development for selected
political areas; importance of areas of life; satisfaction with
democracy in the country; self-classification and assessment of federal
parties on a left-right continuum; judgement on questions of foreign
and defense policy; major reason for the time of peace since 1945;
interest in the disarmament discussion; perceived threat from the
Soviet Union and judgement on the development in the last 5 years;
attitude to an increase in defense expenditures; assessment of the
military balance of power between east and west; attitude to
disarmament and stationing of medium-range missiles in Europe; general
agreement of one´s own personal opinion with the top politicians of the
parties; postmaterialism index; judgement on freedom and development
possibilities in the Federal Republic; securing prosperity through
nuclear energy; attitude to selected future political problems as well
as judgement on their treatment by the politicians (scale); preferred
government measures to alleviate current economic difficulties;
attitude to a social service for men and women; coalition most able to
alleviate the economic difficulties; attitude to expansion of media
offerings by private broadcasters; party preference at federal level
(ballot procedure); behavior at the polls in the last state parliament
election.

Date of birth; religiousness; party preference of spouse; union
membership and solidarity with trade unions; membership in occupational
organizations; self-assessment of social class; party inclination and
party identification; characterization of occupational groups primarily
represented in the residential area; preferred party among residents of
residential surroundings; possession of telephone, camera, bicycle,
freezer, car and camping vehicles.

Beyond the first part the following additional questions were posed in
Hesse: agreement of one´s own political opinion with the state parties
and their top politicians; attitude to revising political decisions
already made on major technological projects; preferred conduct of
state government regarding construction of the runway west {Frankfurt
Airport}.

Beyond the first part the following questions were posed in Lower
Saxony: agreement of one´s own political opinion with the state parties
and top politicians; evaluation of the influence of the CDU as a party
on the job of the state government; assessment of future development of
the Greens at the state level; satisfaction with government work of the
CDU and the job of the SPD in opposition in Lower Saxony.

Interviewer rating: size of place of residence; interest of respondent
in interview; number of contact attempts; length of interview; date of
interview.