Quick Survey on the Federal Parliament Election 2013

Evaluation of parties and politicians. Attitudes towards political issues.

Topics: Most important political issues in Germany; intention to vote in the Federal Parliament Election; intended type of voting (polling station or postal vote); party preference in the Federal Parliament Election; party preference (first and second vote); timing and certainty of one´s own voting decision; voting for selected parties is conceivable; interest in the Federal Parliament Election; voting behaviour in the last Federal Parliament Election; coalition preference; Split A: Attitude towards a coalition of CDU/CSU and FDP, of SPD and Greens, of SPD, Greens and Left, of CDU/CSU and SPD and of CDU/CSU and Greens (end of split A); government preference (government of CDU/CSU and SPD, of SPD, Greens and Left or of SPD, Greens and Left (split B: Government of CDU/CSU and Greens); sympathy scalometer for selected parties; satisfaction with the performance of the federal government of CDU/CSU and FDP, the respective performance of CDU/CSU and FDP in government, the performance of SPD, Greens and Left in opposition (scalometer); Sympathy scalometer for selected top politicians (Rainer Brüderle, Gregor Gysi, Angela Merkel, Horst Seehofer, Peer Steinbrück and Jürgen Trittin); parties liked best (ranking); interest in politics (Split B); chancellor preference for Angela Merkel or Peer Steinbrück; politician profile and competencies: Split A: comparison of the two candidates for chancellor in terms of credibility, likeability, their competence in tackling the euro crisis and social justice (end of Split A), Split B: in the area of job creation, expertise, assertiveness as well as for solving future problems in Germany, end of split B); assessment of own economic situation, Germany´s economic situation in general as well as in comparison to Western European neighbours; expected own future economic situation; economic expectations for Germany; most competent party for solving economic problems in the country, in the area of job creation and social justice, split B: in the euro crisis, in the areas of tax policy, pension security, family policy, energy policy and for solving future problems of Germany; opinion on Germany´s future viability (end of split B); assessment of the work of Chancellor Angela Merkel; expectation of Steinbrück to be a better chancellor; split B: importance of selected issues for one´s voting decision in the Federal Parliament Election (social justice, euro crisis, job creation, taxes, end of split B); importance of one´s financial situation in the voting decision (split A); split B: Perception of more social justice in Germany since 2009; expectation of more social justice in a federal government consisting of SPD and Greens; greater importance of party programme or top candidate Angela Merkel for good performance of CDU/CSU (end of split B); more advantages or disadvantages for Germany from the euro; split A: Opinion on the SPD demand for an increase in the top tax rate for high incomes and the introduction of a statutory minimum wage; opinion on retirement at 67 in view of demographic change; demand for greater efforts by the state to create affordable rental housing (end of split A); opinion on the speed of the energy turnaround in the country; assessment of the work of the federal government; expected winner of the federal election; expected continuation of a government of CDU/CSU and FDP; expected coalition efforts of the SPD with the Greens and the party Die Linke; personally more important after the federal election: Government parties or person of the Federal Chancellor; expected change in the Federal Parliament Election result of the SPD with a candidate other than Peer Steinbrück; political content or dissatisfaction with other parties as a presumed reason for voters of the parties Alternative for Germany and Pirate Party; self-ranking on a left-right continuum.

Demography: age (classified); marital status; living with a partner; children; children in the household under 13 and age of these children; school education; completed university degree; completed vocational training; occupation; assessment of own job security; occupational status; household size; number of persons in the household aged 18 and over; union member in the household; religious denomination; churchgoing frequency; party affiliation; party identification; number of telephone numbers in the household; sex; federal state in which the respondent is eligible to vote; city size.

Additionally coded were: Questionnaire number; West/East; whether the district of residence belongs to West Berlin or East Berlin; weighting factor.

Various questions were only asked of half of the respondents. A bifurcated questionnaire was used.