Politbarometer 1979 (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>Party preference (Sunday question and rank order procedure);
behavior at the polls in the Federal Parliament election 1976; sympathy
scale for the parties, coalition, opposition and selected federal
politicians; size of household; employment; union membership;
religiousness; party inclination and party identification; occupational
groups represented in the residential area. Beyond this part common for
all survey months of 1979 the following questions were also posed in at
least one further survey month: judgement on current and future
economic situation in the country; judgement on one´s own current and
future economic situation; right persons in leading positions;
satisfaction with democracy as well as satisfaction with political
parties and the political system; personal change in party voted for;
necessity of founding a new party for better representation of one´s
own interests; satisfaction with the year 1978; preference for more
income, more leisure time, shorter working hours or longer vacation;
attitude to the right to strike and to lock-out; preference for a
further reduction in working hours and preferred number of hours each
week; anticipated price increases; interest in the European Parliament
and European Election; level of information on the European Election;
significance of the European Election for political unification of
Europe; intent to participate in the European Election, preferred party
as well as time of voting decision; positive or negative influence of
the European Parliament on selected national problems; preference for
European Government or loose cooperation of countries; issue ability of
the German parties regarding political unification of Europe; advantage
or disadvantage of EC membership of the country; expected winner of the
European Election as well as the Federal Parliament election 1980;
importance of decisions of the municipal council, state parliament,
Federal Parliament and European Parliament; attitude to communist
representatives in the European Parliament; ability of Helmut Schmidt
and Franz-Josef Strauss as chancellor regarding selected tasks;
approval of an extension of the CSU to the entire Federal Republic;
voting for the CSU, were it to expand into one´s state; preference for
common CDU/CSU candidates or for separate candidates; preference for
chancellor; profile of characteristics of Helmut Schmidt, Franz-Josef
Strauss as well as for an ideal federal chancellor; attitude to the
Greens in the Bremen state parliament as well as in one´s own state
parlament, municipal council or Federal Parliament; classification of
the Greens as left or right; assessment of the danger from nuclear
power plants; preference for further construction of nuclear power
plants or switch to other energy sources; expected energy shortage if
nuclear energy is not used; perceived possibilities to reduce one´s own
use of energy; foregoing Christmas illumination to save energy;
expected length of the oil crisis; desired personalities as
participants in the television series ´Momentaufnahmen´ {snapshots};
the one primarily to blame for the Second World War; credibility of the
figures regarding victims in concentration camps; concept of ´Germany´
as a country in the borders of the Federal Republic, the Federal
Republic including the GDR or the former German Reich; expected
reunification of the two German nations within the next 30 years;
preferred East-West orientation of a reunited Germany; approval or
rejection of reunification; visits to the GDR or East Berlin; relatives
and friends in the GDR or East Berlin; possession of a car; interest in
a more economical car; attitude to comprehensive schools and personal
importance of this topic; fear of the future; participation in public
and private Carneval events; hiding Easter eggs and Easter gifts;
attitude to introduction of summer time; preferred destination,
independent of the costs of travel; expected champion in the national
soccer league; time of last reading a light reading book.

Also encoded was: date of interview.