Politics in the Federal Republic of Germany (1978)

Political attitudes as well as judgement on parties and politicians in
the Federal Republic.

Topics: judgement on one´s own and the general economic situation;
most important problems in the Federal Republic; issue relevance; issue
ability of the parties and coalitions; party preference (ballot
procedure); preference for federal chancellor; undesired federal
chancellor; satisfaction with democracy in the Federal Republic of
Germany; self-assessment of social class affiliation; judgement on
equal opportunities as well as income and property distribution in the
Federal Republic; judgement on personal retirement program;
unemployment experience; most important effects of personal
unemployment (scale); job chances at loss of current job; fear of loss
of job; judgement on financial security in case of unemployment;
interest in election of an anti-tax party; attitude to founding a
nation-wide environmental party; interest in election of an
environmental protection party; assumed taking seats in Federal
Parliament by an environmental protection party; jeopardy to political
order in the Federal Republic from left or right-wing radicals in case
of a severe economic crisis; self-classification on a left-right
continuum; sympathy scale for the political parties and the leading
politicians; judgement on the social-liberal coalition and opposition
in Bonn; party inclination and party identification; personal readiness
to join a party; most important personal ties; most important
characteristics and achievements of which one is proud as a German;
judgement on the influence of the Federal Republic in the world;
national consciousness or European consciousness; cosmopolitanism;
government in the service of the public interest or special interest
groups; trust in the actions of the Federal Government; possibility of
structuring life oneself or dependence on others; sympathy for trade
unions or entrepreneurs in case of strikes and wage conflicts.

As background variables: In Hesse the following was also asked:
election participation and behavior at the polls in the last state
parliament election.

Demography: ZUMA Standard Demography: age; sex; marital status;
religious denomination; frequency of church attendance; school
education; occupational training; occupational position; employment;
area of business of company; company size; household income; sources of
income; interest in politics; voting behavior in the last federal
parliament election; regional origins; memberships.

Interviewer rating: residential status; willingness of respondent to
cooperate; degree of urbanization; presence of other persons during
interview; reliability of respondent; length of interview; date.