ARD-DeutschlandTrend 2003

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 (Christian Wulff, Edmund Stoiber, Friedrich Merz, Franz Müntefering, Gerhard Schröder, Hans Eichel, Horst Seehofer, Joschka Fischer, Johannes Rau, Jürgen Trittin, Angela Merkel, Michael Sommer, Manfred Stolpe, Otto Schily, Olaf Scholz, Peter Struck, Roland Koch, Ulla Schmidt, Wolfgang Clement and Guido Westerwelle); Chancellor preference for Gerhard Schröder or Angela Merkel, for Gerhard Schröder or Edmund Stoiber, or for Gerhard Schröder or Roland Koch; assessment of the problem-solving competence of a grand coalition of SPD and CDU/CSU compared with the red-green Federal Government; institutional trust (Federal Government, Bundestag, political parties, trade unions, Federal Constitutional Court and employers´ associations); assessment of the problem-solving competence of a CDU/CSU-led Federal Government; party competence: most competent party to solve selected political tasks (securing old-age pensions, securing jobs and creating new ones, reliable foreign policy, education policy, social justice, health policy, combating crime, debt reduction, tax policy, advancing Germany as a business location, solving Germany´s future problems); Personally most important political, economic and social issue (open, maximum of two mentions); conditions in Germany currently more cause for confidence or more cause for concern; assessment of the economic situation in Germany at present and in a year´s time; satisfaction with the work of the respective opposition parties, CDU and CSU, and with the work of the CDU/CSU opposition as a whole; satisfaction with the work of the red-green Federal Government; assessment of the 3 percent wage increases demanded by the trade union verdi; estimated decline in unemployment figures this year; willingness to buy beverages in reusable packaging with the introduction of a deposit on beverage cans and disposable bottles; future expectations with regard to: personal standard of living, personal opportunities in the labor market (job security or future expectations with regard to: personal standard of living, personal opportunities on the labor market (job security or job search) and changes in personal living conditions due to the forthcoming eastward expansion of the European Union; Union politician who is most likely to be a candidate for Chancellor against Gerhard Schröder in the next Bundestag elections (Angela Merkel, Edmund Stoiber or Roland Koch); opinion on various proposals to reform the labor market and health care system (loosening of protection against dismissal in smaller companies, no state support for unemployed under 25 who reject an offer of training or a job, merging of unemployment and social assistance, higher patient co-payments, family doctor as pilot through the health care system); confidence in Gerhard Schröder to lead the SPD out of the crisis after the lost state elections; Federal Government should decide on economic stimulus measures to boost the economy versus maintaining the current austerity course; investments e.g. by the public sector as a suitable measure to boost the small and medium-sized economy and create new jobs; opinion on the influence of interest groups on politics (employers´ associations and trade unions); Iraq: military action against Iraq at the present time is justified; Federal Government´s preferred vote on UN Security Council resolution on threatened military consequences against Iraq for failure to meet disarmament obligations; opinion on 4 more months for peaceful disarmament of Iraq; main motive of the U.S. for a possible attack on Iraq; opinion on Chancellor Gerhard Schröder´s reform proposals for merging unemployment and social welfare benefits, shortening the period of eligibility for unemployment benefits to a maximum of 18 months and relaxing protection against dismissal in smaller companies; Iraq war: Military action against Iraq is justified; expectation of U.S. foreign policy strength or weakness after the end of the Iraq war; estimated duration of the Iraq war; expected success of the democratization of Arab countries sought by the U.S.; expected terrorist attacks in Germany against the background of the Iraq war; opinion on Chancellor Schröder´s announced reform program overall; opinion on the measures in detail: merging of unemployment and social welfare benefits, shortening of the period for which unemployment benefits are paid, sickness benefits via a private supplementary insurance scheme instead of via the statutory health insurance scheme as in the past; Chancellor Schröder will prevail with his reform proposals in the face of opposition from the SPD; expected positive effects of the reform program (affordable social welfare systems, economic upswing, significantly more jobs); CDU/CSU-led Federal Government would present a better reform program; opinion on the influence of trade unions on politics; party with the strongest will to reform; possible break-up of the governing coalition of SPD and Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia harms the red-green Federal Government in Berlin; opinion on reform measures due to the strained financial situation of pension funds: waiver of next pension increase, reduced federal subsidy for retirees´ health insurance contributions, gradual increase in retirement age to 67; tax reform: bringing forward the planned income tax cut to next year is a step in the right direction; expected personal relief from tax reform; expectation of more growth and employment from income tax cuts; preferred measures to compensate for tax shortfalls in the wake of tax reform (increase in new debt, reduction of subsidies to business, elimination of tax breaks for employees such as homeowner allowance or commuter allowance); CDU should push through its own ideas on tax reform versus continue to look for compromises; cooperation between government and CDU/CSU in other areas besides health policy is welcome; measures to reform the health care system are sufficient versus further reform measures are necessary; evaluation of citizens´ insurance; evaluation of including all types of income in citizens´ insurance; preferred reform model: citizen´s insurance or capitation fee; support for a renewed candidacy of Johannes Rau as Federal President; assessment of Edmund Stoiber as a possible successor to Federal President Johannes Rau; approval of the announced public protest by the IG-Metall trade union against the Agenda 2010 reform program; main party responsible for the postponed introduction of the truck toll (Transport Minister Manfred Stolpe or operating company); demand for resignation of Transport Minister Manfred Stolpe in the event of renewed postponement of the introduction of the toll; expected impact on unemployment figures of the reform measures adopted to reduce unemployment; support for renewed candidacy of Johannes Rau as Federal President despite lack of majority in Federal Assembly (only respondents not opposed to renewed candidacy of Rau); support for deployment of Bundeswehr in Iraq under UN mandate; opinion on bringing forward the planned cut in income tax (even if financed primarily by new debt, only if financed primarily by savings in the federal budget, in principle against bringing forward); preferred model for easing the burden on public budgets (significant cuts in selected subsidies, equal cuts in all subsidies, in principle no cuts in subsidies); agreement with statements on SPD; evaluation of Wolfgang Schäuble as possible successor to Federal President Johannes Rau; German unification: fair distribution of financial burdens for reconstruction of East Germany between West and East Germany; reasons of eligible voters without party preference for not voting for a party; support for bringing forward tax reform to stimulate economy despite opposition of CDU/CSU; assessment of CDU/CSU position against predominant financing by new debt; CDU/CSU should accept summit meeting on tax reform proposed by Chancellor Schröder versus sticking to its opposition position; support for greatly simplified tax model proposed by Friedrich Merz; support for the proposal to extend weekly working hours with the same pay in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the German economy and secure jobs; personal willingness to extend weekly working hours by 1 to 2 hours with the aforementioned goal; greater confidence in the CDU with regard to social justice; support in principle for the capitation fee; support for the capitation fee even in the event of tax increases; expected personal relief in the event of the social reforms taking effect and the tax reform being brought forward; preference for transforming the Bundeswehr into a professional army versus retaining compulsory military service.

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.