Yugoslav Successor States Barometer 1998 Questionnaire - F.R. Yugoslavia, Serbia, Montenegro
1. Have you or anyone in your household been unemployed at some time in
the last year?
Yes, self
Yes, other member of family
No one
IF YES, self or family member:
2. How many weeks were you unemployed?
1 to 3 weeks
4 weeks
5 to 6 weeks
7 to 12 weeks
13 to 26 weeks
27 to 52 weeks
3. If your household was very short of money, is there a friend or relative
from whom it could borrow as much as a week's wages or a week's pension?
Definitely
Probably
Probably not
Definitely not
4. What is your current employment situation?
Full-time employed
Part-time employed
Pensioner and employed
Self-employed
Pensioner, not employed
Unemployed, no state benefit
Unemployed, receiving state
benefit
No job, other income maintenance
grant (eg, invalid, maternity)
Not employed (eg, housewife,
student)
IF EMPLOYED:
5. What type of employer do you have?
Government, budgetary agency
State enterprise
State enterprise now privatized
New private enter., never state
6. Do you get enough money from your regular job to buy what you really need?
Definitely enough
Just enough
Not quite enough
Definitely not enough
7. Do you or anyone in your family have a second job to earn some money?
Yes, self
Other member of the family
No one does
8. Do you find that people you know ask your opinion about political affairs?
Often
Sometimes
Seldom
Never
9. Which activity on this card is the most important for the standard of living
of you and your family?
Growing own food
Repairing house
What we get as favours
What we get with help
of friends, relatives
Getting foreign money
Earnings of second job
Incidental earnings
Earnings of regular job
Pension, unemp. benefit
Benefits at place of work
Don’t know
10. Which of these activities is second most important ?
Growing own food
Repairing house
What we get as favours
What we get with help
of friends, relatives
Getting foreign money
Earnings of second job
Incidental earnings
Earnings of regular job
Pension, unemp. benefit
Benefits at place of work
Don’t know
11. In the past year, has your household:
Saved money
Just got by
Spent some savings
Borrowed money
Spent savings and borrowed
Sometimes people have to do without things that people usually have. In the
past year has your household had to do without any of the following:
12a. Food
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
12b. Heating, electricity
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
12c. Clothes you really need
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
13. How long do you think it will be before you have reached a standard of
living with which you are content?
Already content
1-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
More than 10 years
Never
Don’t know
14. How long do you think it will take the government to sort out the economic
problems of this country?
Already resolved
1-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
More than 10 years
Never
Don’t know
Here is a scale for ranking how the economy works: the top, plus 100, is the
best; the bottom, minus 100, the worst.
15. Where on this scale (SHOW CARD) would you put the Socialist economy before
the revolution of 1989?
16. Where on this scale would you put our current economic system?
17. Where would you put our economic system in five years?
18. As for your own household, how do you rate its economic situation today?
Very satisfactory
Fairly satisfactory
Not very satisfactory
Very unsatisfactory
19. When you compare the overall economic situation of your household before
the big changes in the economy, nine years ago, would you say that in the
past it was:
Much better
A little better
About the same
A little worse
A lot worse
20. What do you think the economic situation of your household will be in
five years?
Much better
A little better
About the same
A little worse
A lot worse
Here is a scale for ranking how our system of government works. The top, plus
100, is the best; the bottom, minus 100, the worst.
21. Where on this scale (SHOW CARD) would you put the former Communist regime?
22. Where on this scale would you put our current system of governing with
free elections and many parties?
23. Where on this scale would you put our system of governing five years in
the future?
Our present system of government is not the only one that this country has
had. Some people say that we would be better off if the country was governed
differently. What do you think? Please tell me for each point whether you
strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree.
24a. We should return to Communist rule
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
24b. The army should govern the country
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
24c. Best to get rid of Parliament and elections and have a strong leader
who can quickly decide everything
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
24d. A return to a monarchy would be better
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
Please think of the difference between the old system of government under
the Communists and our present democratic system. I will read out a series
of statements on this card. Please tell me for each point whether you think
our present political system, by comparison with the Communists, is much better,
somewhat better, equal, somewhat worse, much worse?
25a. Everybody is free to say what he or she thinks
Much better now
Somewhat better
Equal
Somewhat worse
Much worse now
25b. People can join any organization they want
Much better now
Somewhat better
Equal
Somewhat worse
Much worse now
25c. People can travel and live wherever they want
Much better now
Somewhat better
Equal
Somewhat worse
Much worse now
25d. Ordinary people can influence what government does
Much better now
Somewhat better
Equal
Somewhat worse
Much worse now
25e. People can live without fear of unlawful arrest
Much better now
Somewhat better
Equal
Somewhat worse
Much worse now
25f. Each person can decide whether or not to take an interest in politics
Much better now
Somewhat better
Equal
Somewhat worse
Much worse now
25g. Everybody is treated equally and fairly by the government
Much better now
Somewhat better
Equal
Somewhat worse
Much worse now
25h. Everybody is free to decide whether or not to practice a religion
Much better now
Somewhat better
Equal
Somewhat worse
Much worse now
26. By comparison with the former Communist regime, would you say that the
level of corruption and taking bribes has:
Increased a lot
Increased a little
Remained much the same
Decreased a little
Decreased a lot
There are many different institutions in this country, for example, government,
courts, police, civil servants. Please show me on this 7-point scale, where
1 represents no trust and 7 great trust, how great is your personal trust
in each of these institutions:
27a. Parties
27b. Courts
27c. Police
27d. Civil Servants
27e. Government
27f. Military
27g. Parliament
27h. Churches
27j. Trade unions
27k. Television, Radio
27l. Press, Newspapers
27m. Private enterprise
27n. President of this country
27p. Prime Minister of this country
27q. Most people you meet
Do you think any of these poses a big threat, some threat, a little threat
or no threat to peace and security in this society ?
28a. Russia
Big threat
Some threat
Little threat
No threat at all
28b. Germany
Big threat
Some threat
Little threat
No threat at all
28c. USA
Big threat
Some threat
Little threat
No threat at all
28d. Neighbouring countries
Big threat
Some threat
Little threat
No threat at all
28e. Ethnic groups, minorities in our country
Big threat
Some threat
Little threat
No threat at all
28f. Immigrants, refugees from other societies
Big threat
Some threat
Little threat
No threat at all
29. Some people think this country would be better governed if parliament
were closed down and all parties were abolished. How likely do you think this
is to happen in the next few years?
Very likely
Maybe
Not very likely
Not at all likely
30. If Parliament was closed down and parties abolished, would you:
Definitely approve
Somewhat approve
Somewhat disapprove
Definitely disapprove
31. To which religious group do you belong?
Roman Catholic
Uniate Catholic
Protestant
Orthodox
Jewish
Muslim
Other
Not a believer
Refused
32. How often do you attend religious services?
At least every week
About once a month
A few times a year
Once a year
Less often
Never
Not a believer, refused
33. Were you or any other person in your family formerly a member of the Communist
Party or one of the organisations closely associated with it?
Yes, self
Yes, other members of family
No
With which of the following do you most closely identify yourself? And with
which do you identify with second?
34a. Europe
34b. Country
34c. Region
34d. Local community, city where I live
34e. Other
34f. Don’t know
On this card you will find a series of contrasting statements. For each, please
choose one and say whether you definitely or somewhat agree with it.
35a. It will take years for government to deal with the problems inherited
from the Communists OR Our new system of government ought to be able to deal
with problems right now, regardless of who caused them.
Take years to deal with
Deal with right now
35b. Rising prices are the biggest threat to my family OR Unemployment is
the biggest threat for my family.
Rising prices
Unemployment
35c. Incomes should be made more equal so there are no big differences in
income OR Individual achievement should determine how much people are paid;
more successful should be paid more.
Incomes more equal
Success paid more
35d. Individuals should be responsible for their own welfare OR The state
should be responsible for everyone’s economic security.
Individuals responsible
State responsible
35e. State ownership is the best way to run an enterprise OR An enterprise
is best run by private entrepreneurs.
State ownership
Private entrepreneurs
35f. It is better to have lots of goods in the shops even if the prices are
much higher OR It is better when prices are kept low by the state even though
there are often few goods in the shops.
High prices, many goods
Low prices, few goods
35g. Our country should develop like West European countries OR Our country
should develop in keeping with our national traditions and values.
West European countries
National traditions
36a. Which of these do you think is the best source of information about the
way this country is governed?
What I see and hear from
people I know
Newspapers
Television
Don't know, none of these
36b. For forty years we had a different system of government and people have
different views about it. Which of these statements comes closest to expressing
what you think?
A good way of running things
Even though it had faults
it was tolerable
It wasn’t any good but there was nothing ordinary
people could do about it
It was bad, and I was wanting it
to go away someday
37. If our country were to join the European Union in the future, would you
feel strongly in favour, somewhat in favour, somewhat opposed or strongly
opposed?
Strongly in favour
Somewhat in favour
Somewhat opposed
Strongly opposed
What do you think are the most likely consequences, if our country should
enter the European Union. For each point, do you think EU membership will
have positive effects, negative effects, bring no changes, or don't you know.
38a. Political stability
Positive effects
Negative effects
No changes
Don't know
38b. Consumer prices
Positive effects
Negative effects
No changes
Don't know
38c. Economic development
Positive effects
Negative effects
No changes
Don't know
38d. My personal income
Positive effects
Negative effects
No changes
Don't know
38e. Reducing unemployment
Positive effects
Negative effects
No changes
Don't know
39. What do you think about Austria’s position regarding the EU membership
of our country?
Austria will support
Austria will hinder
Austria will play no role at all
Don't know
40. In the European Union all citizens of a member country have the right
to work in the other member countries. If our country should become a member
of the EU, will you or another member of your family:
40a. Go abroad to work for some weeks or months
Yes, definitely
Maybe
Probably not
No
Don't know
40b. Work abroad for some years
Yes, definitely
Maybe
Probably not
No
Don't know
40c. Emigrate and live permanently in another country
Yes, definitely
Maybe
Probably not
No
Don't know
41. Respondent or family member plans to:
Look for work abroad, emigrate
No plans to go abroad
IF ANY PLANS TO GO ABROAD:
42a. And in which country would you like to work?
Germany
France
Great Britain
Austria
Scandinavia
Other EU countries
USA, Australia, New Zealand
Other countries
42b. And which country would you emigrate to?
Germany
France
Great Britain
Austria
Scandinavia
Other EU countries
USA, Australia, New Zealand
Other countries
43. As you might know, 15 states of Western Europe together form the European
Union. Are your impressions of the aims and activities of the European Union
generally:
Very positive
Fairly positive
Fairly negative
Very negative
Don't know
44. Are you proud to be a citizen of this country?
Very proud
Somewhat proud
Not very proud
Not at all proud
Don't know
65. Do you think that a NATO membership of this country is:
Very good thing
Somewhat good
Not so good
Very bad thing
Don't know
SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC
S7. Does your household have any of the following: (% saying yes)
S7a Colour television
S7e Video recorder
S7l Phone
S7o Car
Plus standard demographic variables, eg. age, gender, education