Election Study 1972 (Panel: Preliminary Investigations, September - October 1972, October - November 1972; Follow-Up Survey, December 1972)

Pre-election questionnaire, October - November 1972: state of the economy; political interest, media exposure and attention; party preferences; government and opposition performance; position on politics toward the Soviet Union and German Democratic Republic (GDR); satisfaction with democracy; political knowledge: awareness of political figures; sympathy scale: chancellor candidates; sympathy scale: parties; turnout and vote choice; government and coalition preference; chancellor candidate preference; better candidate for minister of economic affairs; effects of party win on personal financial situation; most important problems in the country; party performance on most important problems; party identification; expected winner of the coming elections; interest in labor unions; political efficacy.

Demography: sex; age; marital status; occupation; employment status; education; head of household; employment status and occupation of head of household; size of household; household income; interest in church activities; religious denomination; frequency of church attendance; type of town (degree of urbanization); respondent lives in an area with new housing developments. 3. Post-election questionnaire, December 1972: state of the economy; political interest; post turnout, and vote choice; satisfaction with democracy; right people in leading positions; policy and attitudes toward German Democratic Republic (GDR); sympathy scale: chancellor candidates; sympathy scale: parties; better candidate for minister of economic affairs; effect of newly formed government on personal financial situation; party Identification; expected election win of the SPD and FDP coalition; campaign mobilization and engagement in the political process; reception and attitudes toward election debate; attitude towards campaigns; campaign finance regulation; importance of chancellor candidate for personal vote choice; importance of chancellor candidate for election outcomes; party preferences; importance of election campaign for personal vote choice.

Demography: sex; religious denomination; age (month and year of birth); generation; respondent’s parents’ party preference; strength of parent’s party preference; parents for Hitler; father’s occupation; party membership of the respondent; voting behavior 1969 (party 2nd vote and first vote); respondent’ financial situation in 1 year. Additionally coded was: interview number; interviewer-id; weight; panel wave filter; federal state; district; size of town; date of interview (2nd wave); questionnaire form (wave 1); summary party preference ranking.