ARD-DeutschlandTrend 1998

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, Gregor Gysi, Gerhard Schröder, Helmut Kohl, Joschka Fischer, Oskar Lafontaine, Renate Schmidt, Theo Waigel, Volker Rühe, Wolfgang Gerhardt and Wolfgang Schäuble); German Chancellor preference for Gerhard Schröder or Wolfgang Schäuble, for Helmut Kohl or Oskar Lafontaine or for Helmut Kohl or Gerhard Schröder; preference for a change of government after the Bundestag election in fall 1998; expected winner of the next Bundestag election; agreement with various statements on the DVU; characteristics of the PDS (democratic party like all others in the Bundestag, great influence of former SED cadres, glosses over former GDR conditions, most convincing commitment to the interests of East Germans, lack of economic policy expertise, exacerbates problems between East Germans and West Germans); 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); coalition preference for future composition of federal government; assessment of problem-solving competence of a CDU/CSU-led federal government and an SPD-led federal government; fixed decision for one party; party competence: Most competent party to solve selected political tasks (securing jobs and creating new ones, policies on foreigners and asylum, European policy, fighting crime, advancing the economy in the new federal states (only in the new federal states), securing Germany as a business location, solving Germany´s future problems); potential willingness to vote for the Republicans or the DVU; comparison of Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schröder in terms of: Likeability, economic policy expertise, credibility, stronger leadership personality, familiarity with citizens´ problems, advancing Germany´s economy, social attitude, new directions in politics, political foresight, competence in government, support from own party in leading Germany into a secure future); conditions in Germany at present more cause for confidence or more cause for concern; assessment of economic situation in Germany at present and in one year; assessment of current personal economic situation; satisfaction with work of individual governing parties CDU/CSU and FDP; Satisfaction with the work of the German government; most important political problems in Germany; expected development of the economic situation in Germany; outlook for the year 2000 with regard to: Unemployment rate, standard of living, health care, crime rate, coalescence of the European Union, differences between Christian and Islamic cultures, preponderance of positive or negative aspects in technological development, position in old age, justice in the world, peaceful or warlike world; effects of a breakup of the Red-Green coalition in North Rhine-Westphalia on the chances for a Red-Green federal government; expected greater likelihood of a grand coalition; agreement with various statements on radical right-wing incidents in the Bundeswehr; CDU/CSU´s preferred candidate for chancellor (Helmut Kohl or Wolfgang Schäuble); effect of Gerhard Schröder´s nomination as candidate for chancellor on SPD´s chances in Bundestag election; opinion on Greens´ ability to govern; opinion on PDS re-entry into Bundestag; Opinion on direct PDS participation in government after the upcoming state election in Saxony-Anhalt; potential willingness to vote for the FDP, SPD, Republicans, CDU (in Bavaria CSU), Greens, PDS and DVU parties; leadership of the next federal government: Helmut Kohl should remain chancellor; Gerhard Schröder should become chancellor; satisfaction with the federal government´s performance to date in selected policy areas; greater confidence in an SPD-led federal government in the aforementioned policy areas; mainly responsible for the scandal over increased radioactive radiation from the Castor containers (energy industry or federal government); Satisfaction with the federal government´s handling of various tasks and policy areas; agreement with statements on the labor market and unemployment; opinion of a politically inexperienced practitioner from the business community as economics minister; comparison of incumbent ministers with SPD personnel alternatives in various ministries; only in the eastern federal states: areas with positive or negative developments since reunification; preponderance of advantages or disadvantages with regard to developments since reunification; again, all: Chancellor´s term of office should be limited to 8 years; CDU´s defeat in the Bundestag election could have been prevented with a regulated succession to Helmut Kohl; lack of or insufficient solutions offered in selected policy areas as reason for CDU/CSU´s large losses in the Bundestag election; naming of politician(s) whose work is most appreciated; preference for Wolfgang Schäuble or Volker Rühe as CDU party chairman; preference for Joschka Fischer, Rudolf Scharping or Günter Verheugen as new foreign minister; red-green federal government will reduce unemployment; support for abolishing compulsory military service; Advocacy of a rapid nuclear phase-out within the next 8 years; Advocacy of dual citizenship for foreigners who have lived in Germany for a long time; Better suitability of Johannes Rau or Jutta Limbach for the office of Federal President; New Federal President should come from the new federal states or should be a woman; CDU female politicians or politicians who, along with Wolfgang Schäuble, should play an important role in the future; adequate representation of women by filling 5 of the 15 ministerial posts in the new federal government with women; most assertive SPD negotiator in the coalition negotiations (Gerhard Schröder or Oskar Lafontaine); Greens give up a piece of their identity by compromising in the coalition negotiations; new federal government will reduce unemployment; state should accept higher taxes for tax cuts for companies and citizens; confidence in the federal government regarding austerity measures to close financial gaps; filling the office of federal president with an East German as an important sign; knowledge test on the new red-green government: names of new ministers in various government offices; policy of the new federal government is going in the right direction; approval of Interior Minister Schily´s statement on Germany´s exceeded burden limit due to immigration from abroad; support for dual citizenship for children of foreigners born in Germany; dual citizenship promotes integration; opinion on gasoline price increase of 6 pfennigs per liter; amount respondent would be willing to pay more per liter of gasoline; basic idea of eco-tax as good idea in general.

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.