Authors

• Nurmela, Sakari (Gallup Finland)

Keywords

elections, parliamentary elections, political attitudes, political interest, unemployment, voting, voting behaviour, youth

Abstract

The Advisory Council for Youth Affairs (NUORA) studied the voting behaviour of Finnish young people in the 1999 parliamentary elections, the 1999 European Parliamentary elections, and the 2000 presidential elections. NUORA wanted to find out which factors contributed to young people's low turnout in elections.

The survey studied the respondents' interest in politics, party identification, sources of information on election issues during the parliamentary elections, willingness to talk about politics in general and in connection with elections. The respondents were asked to indicate to what extent they agreed with statements relating to political decision-making, voting, political parties, politicians, and public political influence. Factors influencing the respondents' opinions on parties and politicians were studied (e.g. opinions of friends or parents). The respondents' voting behaviour was charted with questions about candidate choice and voting in the parliamentary elections. Reasons for not voting were surveyed. The respondents were also asked to name which parties they could have voted. Further questions asked which party the respondents' mother and father supported, and whether the parents had given advice on voting. Satisfaction with own and the household's economic situation was charted. Finally, the respondents were asked whether they would give their consent to be contacted in connection with the forthcoming European Parliamentary elections.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, basic and vocational education, economic activity, housing tenure, household composition, number of children aged under 18 in the household, type of neighbourhood, vocational education of the parents, and whether R, spouse or parents had experienced unemployment, length of unemployment. The dataset also contains several regional variables.