International Relations (October 1958)

Comparison of the image of the USA with that of the Soviet Union as
well as attitudes to questions of international policy.

Topics: The survey was conducted with a split questionnaire. The
common part contained the following questions: most important domestic
and foreign policy problems of the country; attitudes to selected
countries; desired East-West orientation of the country; stereotype
concepts of Americans (list of characteristics); judgement on the
influence of American culture on one´s own country; judgement on the
American economic system and American foreign policy; attitude to
stationing of American troops in the country; contacts with American
soldiers; attitude to the conduct of Americans regarding blacks;
sources of information about America; attitude to a military
intervention by the Americans in the Formosa conflict; assumed result
of the peaceful competition of the two great powers; judgement on
cultural life as well as the education system in selected countries;
desired military and political cooperation with the USA; party
preference.

Split A: Attitudes to atomic energy, China´s admission into the UN,
American Middle and Far East policy; sympathies in case of a war
between China and America; judgement on the danger of war (scale);
judgement on the USA in comparison to the Soviet Union regarding their
military strength and scientific progress; preferred military
leadership power; judgement on the conduct of American and other
soldiers (only in the Federal Republic); importance of non-military
tasks of NATO.

Split B: Attitude to selected heads of government, the leadership role
of the USA and American foreign policy; assessment of the seriousness
of the disarmament efforts of the superpowers; preferred position of
one´s own country in a military conflict between the USA and the USSR
as well as possibility of neutrality; knowledge about the situation of
the disputed islands in the Formosa conflict; trust in NATO; judgement
on the USA in comparison to the Soviet Union regarding economic
progress (only in the Federal Republic) and existing social class
differences.

Interviewer rating: social class (not in France) and willingness of
respondent to cooperate (only in the Federal Republic); number of
contact attempts (not in Great Britain and Italy); city size; date of
interview.

The following questions were posed in France: house ownership;
possession of a car; possession of a radio; employment of household
help.

The following question was posed in Great Britain: union membership.

Also encoded was: identification of interviewer.