D1079: Australian Election Study, 2004

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

McAllister, Ian
The Australian National University

Gibson, Rachel
The Australian National University

Gow, David
University of Queensland

DATA COLLECTOR
Australian Social Science Data Archive

ABSTRACT
The 2004 Australian Election Study is the seventh 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 2004 survey replicates many questions from the previous Australian 
Election Studies, but also introduces a variety of new questions including a 
section on political and global issues.  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 immigration, 
refugees and asylum seekers, terrorism, taxation, unemployment, and interest
rates, attitudes to issues relating to the environment and defence, 
and opinions on various social policy issues including 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; Defence; Economic policy; Elections; Environment; Ethnic groups;
Immigration; International relations; Internet; Political parties; Politicians;
Politics; Republicanism; Shares; Social policy; Taxation

UNIVERSE SAMPLED
persons on the Australian electoral roll at the close of rolls, September 2004

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 2004 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: 1769
number of variables per case: 360

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