ISSP Study 1990

Political attitudes and understanding of democracy. Topics: Judgement on the economic situation of the state as well as of the Federal Republic; assessment of personal economic situation; fair share of national product; interest in politics; preferred forms of political participation; attitude to life in the Federal Republic; judgement on the conduct of politicians regarding the citizens; interest in active participation in a political group; feeling of political effectiveness; politics perceived as too complicated; assessment of political conflicts as harm to the public interest; attitude to the right to demonstrate; necessity of violent conflicts in a democratic society; right to freedom of speech; attitude to criticism of the government by the opposition; judgement on the basic ability of each party to govern; priority of public interest over individual wishes; middle-class obligation to oppose human rights violations; perceived pride in the constitution, the Federal Parliament, German sport, German culture, economic success, scientific achievement of the country, the welfare state and the former GDR; national pride; postmaterialism; self-classification as well as classification of the parties Alliance 90, CDU, FDP, Greens, PDS, Republicans and SPD on a left-right continuum; acceptable reasons for an abortion; possession of a telephone; behavior at the polls in the last two elections; hours worked each week; personal unemployment in the last few weeks; religiousness; membership in a religious community; residential status. Within the framework of a written supplementary survey the respondents were asked the following questions: political participation and attitude to political resistance; attitude to protest actions; attitude to a miscarriage of justice; just share of tax for those with higher income; reduction of income differences as government task; attitude to legal wage and price control; preferred government measures to improve the economic situation of the country; attitude to the employment program and subsidies; preference for inflation or reduction in unemployment rate; approval of a reduction in working hours; preferred government control or responsibility in selected economic and social areas.