Study title

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.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...