German Election Study, July 1961 (ICPSR 7099)

Principal Investigator(s): Baumert, Gerhard; Scheuch, Erwin K.; Wildenmann, Rudolf

Summary: This is the first in a series of three studies that surveyed independent national samples both before and after the 1961 election in the Federal Republic of Germany. There were two pre-election studies, conducted in July and September (see also ICPSR 7100), and one post-election study carried out in November and December (ICPSR 7101). The present study examined in detail the respondents' interest in politics and sources of political information. Questions investigated the respondents' ... (more info)

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Baumert, Gerhard, Erwin K. Scheuch, and Rudolf Wildenmann. German Election Study, July 1961. ICPSR07099-v1. Cologne, Germany: Zentralarchiv fur Empirische Sozialforschung/Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributors], 1975. doi:10.3886/ICPSR07099.v1

Persistent URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR07099.v1

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This survey was funded by:

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Germany)

Summary:   This is the first in a series of three studies that surveyed independent national samples both before and after the 1961 election in the Federal Republic of Germany. There were two pre-election studies, conducted in July and September (see also ICPSR 7100), and one post-election study carried out in November and December (ICPSR 7101). The present study examined in detail the respondents' interest in politics and sources of political information. Questions investigated the respondents' perceptions of the ability of the SPD and CDU/CSU to deal with a set of issues facing the Federal Republic, such as German reunification, foreign relations with the East and West, economic and education policy, and other foreign and domestic issues. The survey also included scalometers, which were used in evaluating the major political figures of 1961 and the three major political parties. Other questions dealt with the perceived partisan leanings of various social groups. Variables also investigated the respondents' anticipated voting behavior in the 1961 election and expectations about the election outcome, as well as the interviewees' long-term voting histories. Demographic data cover age, sex, marital status, religious preference, education, employment status, occupation, and income.

Subject Terms:   Christian Democrats, economic policy, education policy, elections, foreign relations, German reunification, national elections, political issues, political parties, political partisanship, Social Democrats, voter expectations, voter history, voting behavior

Geographic Coverage:   Germany, Global

Time Period:  

• 1961-07

Date of Collection:  

• 1961-07-07--1961-08-12

Universe:   Citizens, aged 15 and older, of the Federal Republic of Germany, including West Berlin, who lived in private households and were registered in the community central registry of inhabitants ("Einwohnermeldekartei").

Data Types:   survey data

Data Collection Notes:

The 1,679 respondents were weighted to 1696.1 to correct for sex and age biases in the sample. The weight variable (Variable 3), constructed by comparing the age by sex distribution of the sample with the census distribution, produces a representative sample of the population.

This study was conducted by DIVO-Institut, Frankfurt, Germany.

Sample:   A stratified, multistage, random sampling procedure was utilized in this study. The sample was drawn in three stages: first, the sampling points were designated, then households were chosen within each sampling point, and finally, individuals were selected within each household. The sampling frame included two elements of the population who were generally not eligible to vote in federal elections: residents of West Berlin and citizens younger than 21 years of age. A filter variable (Variable 4) was constructed for an analysis of the eligible electorate. The definition of the population excluded persons living in group quarters, institutional populations, and people with no place of residence.

Data Source:

personal interviews

Original ICPSR Release:  1984-06-19

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