Finnish Local Government Barometer 2005: Inhabitants

The survey focused on the project to restructure local government and local government services in Finland. The respondents were asked to what extent they agreed with a number of statements relating to municipalities (e.g. everyone who wants can influence decisions in his/her municipality of residence, my municipality should be merged with the neighbouring municipality/ities, municipal services should be increased rather than cut). Views were probed on whether municipal services had improved, got worse or stayed the same over the past two years. Other topics included whether the present municipality structure, merged municipalities or regional areas would be the best basis for providing particular services (child day care, education, care of the elderly, primary health care, library services etc.), and who should provide these services (the municipality itself or private service providers). The respondents were asked for which services the citizens themselves should carry a larger financial or operational responsibility, and what strategies would be acceptable for improving the finances of the municipality. Opinions on the optimal number of municipalities and municipality mergers were charted. One question explored what would be good arguments for diminishing the number of municipalities. Finally, the respondents were asked who held the real power in the municipality. Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, economic activity and occupational status, type of neighbourhood, age(s) and number of children, education, employment status, household income, household composition, region of residence (NUTS3), economic activity and occupational status of the household's main earner, who in the household was responsible for everyday shopping, which political party R would vote for if the parliamentary elections were held at that time, and which political party R had voted for in the last municipal election.