Spring Study 2002

Opinion on political questions, government, political system, parties and associations.

Topics: Economic expectations for the next twelve months; development of the economic situation in the country compared with the period before the change of government three years ago; policy areas that are particularly displeasing; important reforms have been carried out in the last three years; areas of policy that give cause for concern; red-green federal government is good for the state; expectation of continuation of the government coalition of SPD and Bündnis90/Die Grünen after the Bundestag elections; evaluation of the work of the federal government in selected policy areas; evaluation of the work of the federal government and the CDU/CSU in the opposition as a whole (school grades); particularly important sources of information; television consumption on a normal working day; favorite channels; evaluation of the speed of implementation of reforms; importance of regulating immigration to Germany; approval of an immigration law; opinion on the design of an immigration law (reducing, extending or updating immigration law); opinion on immigration; assessment of the red-green federal government in comparison with the old government with regard to: tax burdens, general conditions for companies, quality of health care, pension security, situation in East Germany; tax burden perceived personally; rather financial advantages or disadvantages due to the tax reform; scope of these advantages or disadvantages due to the tax reform; particularly important aspects of a change in the tax system; evaluation of selected words as sympathetic or unpleasant (e. g. tax reform, freedom, renewal, progress, standstill, performance, etc.); party to which this word fits best; sympathy for the parties SPD, CDU, FDP, Bündnis90/Die Grünen, PDS and Republikaner; greater importance of the components market economy or social welfare in the social market economy; more freedom for enterprises vs. more social security; agreement to various statements on the subjects of economy and society; parties the respondent would vote for; expected winner of the next federal election; preferred government coalitions; personally particularly important aspects in the next federal election; party for which the word ´Germany´ or ´European Party´ is the most appropriate; parties that will gain or lose importance (CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP, Bündnis90/Die Grünen, Republikaner, DVU and PDS); CDU and Greens could form a government vs. programs are too different; approval of closer political cooperation between CDU and Bündnis90/Die Grünen; knowledge of the new Hamburg Senator for the Interior Ronald Schill; sympathy for Ronald Schill; expected great political future for Ronald Schill; interest in the party ´Partei Rechtsstaatlicher Offensive´ (Schill-Party); approval if Schill-Party were to take part in a nationwide party; respondent would vote for Schill-Party; feared terrorist attacks in Germany; German armed forces: military service maintained vs. conversion into a professional army; demand for better equipment of the German Armed Forces; opinion on the involvement of the Federal Government in military actions such as those in Afghanistan; increasing crime in Germany; security against crime has tended to increase or decrease under the red-green government; opinion on the extent of the Red-Green government´s efforts in the area of internal security; fear of victimisation; support for appropriate measures against crime and terrorism in the country; party affiliation and concrete indication of political parties; strength of party affiliation; support for cooperation between the PDS and the other parties; PDS supports democracy; support for the statement ‘Only the PDS really represents the interests of East Germany’; PDS wants to change the political system in Germany; PDS wants East and West Germany to grow together; cooperation between the other parties with the PDS will promote Germany´s internal unity; agreement to various statements on the policies of the federal government and the opposition from CDU and CSU; European Union: hopes or fears regarding the admission of Eastern European countries to the EU; agreement on the admission of Eastern European countries to the EU; economy: particularly damaging factors for the economy; reasons for worse-than-expected economic development; social self-portrayal as more preferential or disadvantaged; support for the assertion that the gap between rich and poor in Germany continues to widen; preferences with regard to the welfare state of the future: cuts in social benefits and reductions in social security contributions vs. no reduction of social benefits and acceptance of increasing social security contributions; agreement to measures against cost increases in the health care system; children; support for families: preference for more child benefit or more day-care centers and all-day schools; opinion on the proposed family money; party sympathy (ranking order); possible voting decision for the party named in second place; regular voter or alternate voter; knowledge of various foundations; foundations doing particularly important work; Europe should follow the USA´s course vs. pursuing a policy as independent as possible.

Demography: sex; age (categories); education; occupation; occupational position; employment in the public service; extent of occupation; number of employees in the company (company size); unemployment of the respondent or a household member (currently, in the last 2 years, more than 2 years ago, never unemployed); duration of unemployment; feared (continuous) unemployment of the respondent or of a household member; short-time work; duration of short-time work; net income of the main wage earner; main wage earner (respondent or other person in the household); children; total number of children; age of children; number of children in the household; number of persons in the household (household size); number of persons contributing to household income; net household income; marital status; cohabitation with a partner; Internet connection at home, trade union membership; activity in trade union; church membership; confession; frequency of church attendance; eligibility; party preference and intention to participate in elections (Sunday question); knowledge of first and second votes; voting decision for different parties or the same party (Sunday question); voting decision second vote (Sunday question); participation in the 1998 federal election and voting decision; place of residence in autumn 1989 (western Germany, eastern Germany, abroad).

Additionally coded was: questionnaire number; West/East; version of questionnaire; weight; assessment of the interview (interesting, length); federal state; size of locality; character of place of residence; interview date (day, month).