New Baltic Barometer II Questionnaire
A) ECONOMIC QUESTIONS
1) In the past year have you at some time been unemployed?
Yes/No/ Not in labour force
IF YES: a) How many weeks were you unemployed _______ weeks
b) Did you receive unemployment or social benefit money
from the state?
Yes/No
2) During the past year has any other member of your household been unemployed
No one/ Yes-- one / two (or more) others/
IF YES : How many weeks unemployed (If more than one unemployed,
record answer for person longest unemployed)
3) What is your current employment situation (Show card)
.1 Full-time job (20 hours or more a week)
.2 Part-time job
.3 Self-employed
.4 Apprentice
.5 Pensioner and also employed
.6 Unemployed without state unemployment benefit
.7 Unemployed with state unemployment benefit
.8 Pensioner and not employed
.9 Receiving other state income maintenance grant
.10 Housewife
.11 Student
.12 Other
IF EMPLOYED (Codes 1-5 above)
4) Respondent's employer:
State enterprise: factory
State enterprise: shop, commerce
Police, military
State health sector, education
Private sector: employee
Private sector: part-owner
Self-employed
Collective farm
Independent farmer
Other
5) In the past year have you been temporarily laid off work and not paid by
your employer?
Yes/No/
IF YES: How long did this unpaid time last? ---- weeks
6) Do you and your family earn enough from regular work in the official economy
to buy what your household really needs?
Definitely enough 1
Read out: Just enough 2
Not quite enough 3
Definitely not enough 4
7) Do you belong to a trade union?
Yes/ No
IF YES:
a) Do you trust the union officials at your place of work?
Definitely/ Somewhat/ Usually not/ Definitely not
b) Do you trust the union officials at national headquarters?
Definitely/ Somewhat/ Usually not/ Definitely not
ASK ALL:
8) Do you or anyone in your family have a second job to earn some money?
Yes / No
9) In total, how much time do all the members of your family spend each day
standing in queues or searching in shops for goods that are often in shortage?
Up to 30 minutes/About one hour/ More than an hour a day
10) Which activity on this card is the most important for the standard of
living of you and your family? (Show Card)
1st-Q 11 2nd Q.12
(SHOW CARD) (Only one answer for each)
-Growing own food 0 0
-Repairing own house 1 1
-What we get as favours 2 2
-What we get with the help of friends and relatives 3 3
-Buying things with foreign currency 4 4
-Earnings in second job 5 5
-Money that we get on the side, tips 6 6
-Earnings from regular job 7 7
-Pension or unemployment money 8 8
-Benefits given at work, like meals, holidays 9 9
-Don't know
11) And which of these is second most important? (Same card as Q.11)
12) In the past year, has your family:
Saved money 1
Read out: Just got by 2
Spent some savings 3
Borrowed money 4
Spent savings and borrowed money 5
13) Sometimes people have to do without things that people usually have. In
the 12 months, has your household sometimes had to do without any of the following:
Often Sometimes Rarely Never
Food
Heating, electricity
Clothes you really needed
14a) How long will it be before you reach a standard of living with which
you are content?
1-2 years 1
3-5 years 2
Show card: 6-10 years 3
More than 10 years 4
Never 5
Don't know 6
Already content 7
14b) How long do you think it will take the government to sort out the economic
problems of this country.
1-2 years 1
3-5 years 2
Card as in 14a) 6-10 years 3
More than 10 years 4
Never 5
Don't know 6
Already content 7
15) Here is a scale for ranking how the economy works. The top, plus 100,
is the best; at the bottom, minus 100, is the worst. (SHOW CARD)
a) Where on this scale would you put the socialist economy before independence?
ATTENTION: Include plus OR minus sign
b) Where on this scale would you put our present economic system?
ATTENTION: Include plus OR minus sign
c) Where would you put our economic system in five years time?
ATTENTION: Include plus OR minus sign
ASK RUSSIAN SPEAKERS ONLY
Q) And on this same scale, where would you place the economic system in Russia:
16a) Before perestroika a few years ago
16b) Today
16c) In five years time
ASK ALL
17) As far as your household is concerned, overall, how do you rate its economic
situation today?
Very satisfactory 1
Read out: Fairly satisfactory 2
Not very satisfactory 3
Very unsatisfactory 4
18) Would you say that as far as your household is concerned, the situation
now compared with five years ago is:
Much better 1
A little better 2
Read out: About the same 3
A little worse 4
A lot worse 5
19) What do you think the economic situation of your household will be in
five years time?
Much better 1
A little better 2
Read out: About the same 3
A little worse 4
A lot worse 5
20) Do you feel that our country's economic reform programme is going too
fast, too slow or at about the right speed?
Too fast
About the right speed
Too slow
Don't know
B) POLITICAL QUESTIONS
1a) How interested are you in politics?
Very/ somewhat/ not very interested/ not at all interested
b) How often do you talk about politics with other people:
Often/ Sometimes/ Seldom/ Never/ No answer-don't know
c) Some people say that it is risky to get involved in politics, for it could
cause trouble for yourself and your family. Others say this is now a foolish
fear. What do you think?
Definitely risky /Sometimes risky/Usually not risky/It is foolish fear/Don't
know/
d) There are some people who work with others in this community to try to
solve local
problems. Are you the sort of person who does this:
Often/ Sometimes/ Seldom/ Never/ No answer-don't know
2a) Which of these statements best fits your views of who should have the
right to vote in elections to Parliament (choose only one)
Only those whose family were citizens of Estonia/ Latvia/ Lithuania
before 1940
Everyone who has been born in the country.
Everyone who has lived here for more than ten years.
Everyone living here at the time of independence
Any former Soviet citizen who is now living in this country
b) How strongly do you hold this view:
Very strongly/ fairly strongly/ Can see arguments for different alternatives/
Don't
really care much
3) Here is a scale for ranking how the government works. The top, plus 100,
is the best; at the bottom, minus 100, is the worst.
a) Where on this scale would you put the former communist regime (SHOW CARD)
ATTENTION: Give plus OR minus sign
b) Where on this scale would you put our present system of governing?
ATTENTION: Give plus OR minus sign
c) Where on this scale would you put our system of governing in five years?
ATTENTION: Give plus OR minus sign
Russian-speakers only: 3) And on this same scale, where would you place:
a) The Soviet system of government before perestroika?
b) The present Russian system of governing?
c) The system of governing that Russia will have in five years?
ASK ALL
4) In the next year, do you think political conditions will get:
Better/ Stay much the same/ Get worse/ Don't know
7a) If the local authorities made a decision which went against people's interests,
do you think you could do something about it or not?
Definitely/ probably/ probably not/ No chance/ Don't know
b) If the national government made a decision which went against people's
interests, do you think you could do something about it or not?
Definitely/ probably/ probably not/ No chance/ Don't know
9) People often hold different opinions about relations with others. For each
pair of statements, please say which is closer to your own way of thinking
a) Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted
OR
You can't be too careful in dealing with people.
b) People help each other for you never know when you will need help yourself
OR
No one else will care about a person who is having difficulties
c) The best way for people like me to get ahead is to cooperate with others
in this
community to promote common interests.
OR
The best way to get ahead is to look after myself and not be concerned with
what other people around here are doing.
10) People usually feel they have more in common with some groups than others.
Could you tell me how much you have in common with each of the following groups?
A lot/ Some things / Not much/ Nothing/
-Workers
-Middle class
-Farmers
-Estonians/ Latvians/ Lithuanians
-Educated people
-Russians
-People in business for themselves, entrepreneurs
-Green movement, ecologists
-Estonia and Latvia: Lutherans. Lithuanians: Catholics. Russians: Orthodox.
-Strong defenders of our national traditions
-Former Communists
11) Do you think rising prices are the biggest threat to your household
OR
Unemployment is the biggest threat for your household
d) Do you think it will take years for government to deal with the problems
inherited from the Communists
OR
If our system can't produce results soon, that's a good reason to try some
other system of government.
12) Our present system of government is not the only one that this country
has had, and some people say we would be better off if the country was governed
differently. What do you think? Please tell me for each point whether you:
Agree Disagree
Strongly Somewhat Strongly Somewhat
a) We should return to Communist rule.
b) The army should govern the country.
c) It is best to have a strong leader who can quickly decide things
without bothering with Parliament and elections
d) The most important decisions about the economy should be
made by experts and not the Cabinet and Parliament.
e) We would be better off if we were still part of the Soviet Union.
13a) How much influence do you think Western ideas have in this country today?
Too much / About right / Not enough / Hard to say
b) And how much influence do you think Russian ideas have in this country
today?
Too much / About right / Not enough / Hard to say
16) Do you think any of the following are a threat to the peace and security
of this country?
Definitely Possibly Probably Definitely not not
a) Conflicts between -----(Majority nationality) and Russians resident here
b) Refugees, immigrants
c) The Russian state
d) Hardline nationalist politicians in Russia
e) Hardline nationalist politicians in this country
17) If there was a protest demonstration in the streets, how likely is it
that you would take part in a demonstration about:
Very Maybe Unlikely Definitely not
i) unemployment, closing of factories?
ii) Who should be a citizen?
18) Some people think this country would be better governed if parliament
were suspended and we did not have lots of political parties. How likely do
you think it is that this could happen here in the next few years?
Very likely 1
Read out Maybe 2
Not very likely 3
Not at all likely 4
19) If Parliament was suspended and parties abolished, would you approve or
disapprove
Strongly approve 1
Somewhat approve 2
Somewhat disapprove 3
Strongly disapprove 4
20) If you went to see about something, would you expect fair treatment from:
Definitely/ probably/ Not likely/ Definitely not/ DK
.Post office
.Bank
.Manager at place of work
.Local shop
.Doctor's office, hospital
.Municipal housing office
.Police
.Social security office
21) There is a lot of talk about the duties that people owe this country.
Which of the following do you think that everyone who is resident here ought
to do?
Always do/ Usually/ Unimportant/ Not at all
Do military service when young
Learn the national language
Pay taxes on all their income
Respect the nation's flag
Obey all the country's laws
Follow politics on television and in the press
22) There is a lot of talk about the rights that people ought to have. Which
of these rights do you think should be enjoyed by everyone who is a resident
of this country?
Definitely/ Usually/ Unimportant/ No
Receive a pension on retirement
Receive benefit pay if unemployed
Educated in language of parents
Right to buy a house if wants to
Right to own land
Vote, be a candidate in local elections
Vote, be a candidate in national elections
Form a political party
23a) Which of these statements best fits your views of who should be a citizen?
(choose only one)
Those whose family were citizens here before 1940
Everyone who has been born in the country.
Everyone who has lived here for more than ten years.
Everyone living here at the time of independence
Any former Soviet citizen who is now living in this country
b) How strongly do you hold this view?
Very strongly/ fairly strongly/ Can see arguments for different alternatives/
Don't really care much
c) Should people who want to become citizens have to pass an examination in
the national language?
Definitely yes/ Probably/ Not necessary/ Definitely not
24a) Do you feel close to one political party or movement or not?
Yes 1
No 2
Refuses to answer 3
Don't know 4
If YES: b) Record name
ASK: c)How close do you feel to this party?
Very close 1
Somewhat 2
Not very close 3
25) (Interviewer gives respondent an envelope and ballot paper and says:)
In this envelope is a ballot with the names of political parties. Please put
a cross by the name of the party that you would vote for if an election was
held next Sunday.
26) Which of these terms (Show card) best describes how you usually think
of yourself.
-City/locality
-Region (e.g. Zemaitija, Aukstaitija, etc)
-Baltic nationality (Latvia, Lithuanian or Estonian)
-Polish
-Russian
-Belorussian
-Ukrainian
-European
-Soviet
-Other (write out)
27) And do you sometimes think of yourself as a member of any other group?
Which one? (Same CARD)
28) How would you describe the relations between nationalities and ethnic
groups in this country?
No problems
All right, we can handle whatever problems arise
Not so good, difficulties
Bad
29) And how would you say relations between nationalities have changed since
this country became independent?
A lot better/ somewhat better/ the same/ a little worse/ a lot worse.
30) What language did you speak at home when you were a child?
Lithuanian/ Latvian/ Estonian/ Russian/ Polish/ Finnish/ Belorussian/ Ukrainian/
Other
31) In what other languages can you now carry on a conversation? (More than
one answer okay)
Estonian /Latvian /Lithuanian / Russian / Polish /
Finnish / English / German / Other
32) Were you born in ----(this Baltic state) Yes/ No
IF NO:
a) Where were you born?
Other two Baltic states/ Russia/ Siberia / Belarus/ Ukraine/ Poland/ other
former Soviet republic/ Other
b) How many years have you lived in this state?
----- years
Ask Baltic nationalities only
33a) When jobs are scarce, some people say that employers should give priority
to ----- (state nationality) rather than to Russians and others DO you think
this is the right thing to do or not?
Strongly agree/ Agree/ Disagree/ Strongly disagree
33b) During World War II and afterwards, many families in this country suffered
greatly. Was anyone in your family deported, imprisoned, perished or executed?
Several/ Only one/ No one
c) IF YES: Was this at the hands of:
Russians / Germans/ Both/ Other
Russian-language questionnaire only
Q Here are statements that some Russian-speakers make about life in --------(this
country) since independence. Can you tell me whether or not you agree
Strongly Agree Disagree Stronglyagree disagree
34. People like us should not be made to learn Estonian/ Latvian/ Lithuanian
35. Conditions for people like me in Russia are worse than here
36. This country offers better chances for improving living standards in future
than does Russia
37) If you had to do so, could you find a place to live somewhere in Russia?
Definitely / Probably/ Not very likely/ Definitely not
C) DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS
1a) Gender
Male / Female
b) Marital status
Single/ Married, Living with partner/ Separated, divorced/ Widowed
2) How old are you? (record answer in years) -------
3) Number of people in household:
a) Employed adults -----
b) Pensioners -----
c) Adults getting unemployment,other social benefit ------
d) Adults without an income (e.g. housewife, student) ------
e) Children under 18 years
4a) In the past month, what was your own personal income? -----
b) And in the past month what was the total household income--including earnings
of family members, scholarships, pension, unemployment benefits and other
income.
5) Compared to other households in this country, would you say your standard
of living is:
Above average/ Average/ Below average
6a) Does your household have any of the following
Colour TV Yes No
Telephone
Car
Shares in enterprises
b) Are you planning to buy any of the above in the next year? Which?
(More than one answer)
Colour tv/ telephone/ car/ shares in enterprises/ None/ Don't know
If No/ Don't know
c) Is that because (Read out: more than one answer okay)
Don't need anything
Don't have enough money
Prefer to buy other things
Rather save than spend money
7) What is your occupation?
Professional, director
Trained supervisor
Trained non-manual without subordinates
Routine non-manual
Skilled manual
Unskilled manual
Agricultural worker
Farmer
8 a) How old were you (will you be) on finishing full time education?
Age in years
b) What was the highest level of education NB: EvT corrected in Russia
None
Vocational qualification for manual trade (e.g. carpenter, factory skill)
Non-manual vocational qualification (e.g. secretary, clerk)
Academic secondary education (Abitur, university entrance)
Diploma (or still studying for) university, polytechnic, post-secondary
qualification
9) Some people are interested in books, others are not. How about yourself.
Do you: Never bother / Occasionally read a book / Read books often
10) What is your official nationality?
Lithuanian/ Latvian/ Estonian
Polish / Russian / Belorussian / Ukrainian /Other former Soviet Republic
Jew / Other (Please write out) ----------
11) What is your residence status in this country?
Citizen/ Permanent resident/ Temporary resident/
12a) What is your citizenship?
*Lithuanian/ Latvian/ Estonian
Soviet
**Russian
Other former Soviet Republic
Polish
Other (Please write out) ----------
It is now uncertain; I do not have a passport
ASK RUSSIAN-SPEAKERS ONLY:
*IF NOT ALREADY CITIZEN OF BALTIC STATE:
b) Do you plan to apply for citizenship of Estonia/ Latvia?
Yes/ Thinking of doing so/ Unsure/ No
c) What is the reason for this?
IF YES/ THINKING OF DOING SO
Permanent resident
Need it to travel
Don't want to become a stateless person
I identify with this country
I and my family belong here
Other
IF NO:
Don't identify with this country
State wouldn't grant it, don't speak language
Already a Russian citizen
Too much trouble, can't be bothered
Other
**IF NOT ALREADY Russian citizen or citizen of another former Soviet republic:
d) Do you plan to apply for Russian citizenship?
Yes/ No/
IF YES: e) What is the reason for this?
(Okay to choose more than one)
Need it to travel
Don't want to become a stateless person
May want to return to Russia some day
Russian Federation will protect me, my family
I am Russian, identify with other Russians
Other
IF NO: f)If you are not going to apply, is that because (okay to choose more
than one)
Don't identify with former Soviet union, Russia
State wouldn't grant it
Already a Baltic citizen
Too much trouble, can't be bothered
Other
ASK ALL
13a) To which religious group do you belong?
Roman Catholic 1
Orthodox 2
Lutheran 3
Jewish 4
Other 7
Not a believer 8
Refused 9
IF ANSWER to Q. 10 is 1-7
b) How often do you attend religious services?
Nearly every week 1
About once a month 2
Read out: A few times a year 3
Rarely 4
Never 5
14) Were you or another person in your family formerly a member of the Communist
Party?
Yes, self
Yes, other member of family
No
15) Do you live in:
Single family dwelling
Low rise flat, no elevator.
Flat in building with an elevator
Communal flat, hostel, dormitory
Other
16) Who owns your residence:
State
Local council
Employer
Cooperatively owned
Self, family, relative
Privately owned landlord
Other
17) If there is a problem in the building where you live, what would you do
to try to get it fixed?
(More than one answer accepted)
I would deal with it myself or another member of household would
Ask a friend to fix it
Complain to whoever collects the rent
Pay someone to fix it
Nothing I could do
18) Population of this community
Rural, village
5-20,000
20-50,000
50-100,000
100-500,000
>500,000
19) Region
20) Russian-speakers as % of local district's population.
Less than 5%
5-20%
21-33
34-45
45--55
>55%
21) Polish-speakers as % of local district's population.
22) Date of Interview