D1001: Australian Election Study, 1998

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S)
Bean, Clive
Queensland University of Technology

Gow, David
University of Queensland

McAllister, Ian
Australian National University

DATA COLLECTOR
Australian Social Science Data Archive

ABSTRACT
The 1998 Australian Election Study is the fifth in a series of surveys
beginning in 1987 that have been timed to coincide with Australian
Federal elections. The series also builds on the 1967, 1969 and 1979
Australian Political Attitudes Surveys. The Australian Election
Studies aim to provide a long-term perspective on stability and change
in the political attitudes and behaviour of the Australian electorate,
and investigate the changing social bases of Australian politics as
the economy and society modernise and change character. In addition to
these long-term goals they examine the political issues prevalent in
the election and assess their importance for the election result.

The 1998 survey replicates many questions from the 1987, 1990, 1993
and 1996 Australian Election Studies, but also introduces a variety of
new questions including a section on the constitution, rights and
minorities. Other sections cover the respondent's interest in the
election campaign and politics, their past and present political
affiliation, evaluation of parties and candidates, alignment with
parties on various election issues, evaluation of the current economic
situation, attitudes to a range of election issues including the GST,
immigration, unemployment, the Telstra sale, and education, views on
the monarchy and the importance of Australia becoming a republic,
attitudes to issues relating to the environment and defence,
assessment of the current level of racial prejudice operating in
Australia today, and opinions on various social policy issues
including euthanasia, abortion, equal opportunities, sex
discrimination, and government assistance to Aborigines.

Background variables include level of education, employment status,
occupation, type of employer, position at workplace, trade union
membership, sex, age, own and parents country of birth, parents'
political preferences, religion, marital status, income, and where
applicable, the occupation, trade union membership and political
preference of the respondent's spouse.

SUBJECT TERMS
Attitudes; Culture; Defence; Economic policy; Elections; Environment;
Immigration; International relations; Political parties; Politicians;
Politics; Racial discrimination; Republicanism; Social policy

UNIVERSE SAMPLED
persons on the Australian electoral roll at the close of rolls,
September 1998

SAMPLING PROCEDURE
stratified systematic random sample
The sample of electors for all Australia was drawn from the
Commonwealth Electoral Roll by the Australian Electoral Commission
following the close of rolls for the 1998 election. The Commission
supplied name and address information only, to be used only for this
study.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
self-completion (mail out, mail back)

DIMENSIONS OF DATA SET
number of cases: 1897
number of variables per case: 357
number of cards per case: -

ACCESSIBILITY
A copy of the User Undertaking Form must be signed before data may be
accessed.

PUBLICATIONS


START YEAR: 1998
END YEAR: 1998

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: AUSTRALIA