Politbarometer 1977 (Cumulated Data Set)

The Politbarometer has been conducted since 1977 on an almost monthly basis by the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen on behalf of the Second German Television (ZDF). Since 1990, this database has also been available for the new German states. The survey focuses on the opinions and attitudes of the voting-age population in the Federal Republic on current political issues, parties, politicians, and voting behavior. From 1990 to 1995 and from 1999 onward, the Politbarometer surveys were conducted separately both in the newly formed eastern and in the western German states (Politbarometer East and Politbarometer West). The separate monthly surveys of a year are integrated into a cumulative data set that includes all surveys of a year and all variables of the respective year. Starting in 2003, the Politbarometer short surveys, collected with varying frequency throughout the year, are integrated into the annual cumulation.<br>Assessment of personal economic situation and future
development; judgement on current and future economic development of
the country; fear for job security; interest in politics; memory of
voting behavior in the Federal Parliament election 1976 (first vote and
second vote); party preference (ballot procedure, rank order
procedure); party inclination; party one cannot vote for; satisfaction
with achievements of the government and opposition (scale);
satisfaction with democracy; reasons for satisfaction or
dissatisfaction with democracy; the right people in leading positions;
necessity of founding new parties; expected election winner and
expected effects on the SPD/FDP coalition; desire for the CSU to be on
the ballot in the entire Federal Republic; knowledge of the name of the
Federal President and preference for a president or king as leader of
the Federal Republic; general judgement on the situation of pensioners
in the Federal Republic and financial protection of retirement
pensions; preference for increase in retirement insurance or a subsidy
by the government in case of insufficient coverage; assumed reasons for
the increase in costs in the public health system; attitude to a strike
by doctors and introduction of a road toll for citizens of the GDR in
the FRG; judgement on the reform of political boundaries with
consolidation of municipalities into larger units; preference for
provision of energy by nuclear power plants or by other power plants;
assessment of the danger from nuclear power plants; attitude to
construction of a nuclear power plant in the immediate vicinity and
protest behavior in such a case; expected energy shortage without
nuclear power plants; personal willingness to conserve power; attitude
to European unification; advantageousness of membership of the Federal
Republic in the EC; judgement on student demands for better study
conditions and increased financial support; general attitude to Italy
and the Italians; knowledge about the election success of the communist
party in Italy and attitude to cooperation of the Christian-Democratic
party with the communists; perceived differences between the communist
party of Italy and the parties in the East Bloc; knowledge about the
term Euro-Communism; assessment of equal opportunities in the Federal
Republic; the death penalty as a means to reduce crime; judgement on
the usefulness of citizen initiatives; judgement on the base treaty
between the Federal Republic and the GDR; judgement on improvement or
deterioration of the relation with the GDR and the side responsible for
this; the Federal Government giving in too much in negotiations with
the GDR; judgement on task fulfillment of the parties; most important
causes as well as judgement on further development of unemployment,
price stability, certainty of pensions, the fight against terrorism and
youth unemployment; institution most able to solve these problems;
personal thoughts about growing old and feelings of concern or
pleasure; threat to the state from terrorism and necessity of special
laws to fight against terrorism; personal threat from terrorism;
willingness to accept increased controls as security measure against
terrorism; judgement on the conduct of the Federal Government and
authorities after Schleyer´s kidnapping and expected search outcome in
this case; terrorism and unemployment as problems calling for a strong
man to lead the nation; interest of politicians in what the people
think; attitude to a single strong party that represents the interests
of all classes; introducing the death penalty for certain crimes;
interest in a strong leadership personality to govern the country with
a strong hand; adequate differences between the political views and
goals of the parties; National Socialism as a good idea; attitude to
the increasing number of books published about Hitler and the Third
Reich; political retrospect on the year; increase of unemployment and
short time work as temporary or long-term phenomenon; union membership;
typical occupational groups in one´s residential area; satisfaction
with residential area; religiousness.

Also encoded was: willingness of respondent to cooperate;
administrative district.