The Finnish Voter Barometer surveys are commissioned by the major parties in the Parliament. In election years, other sponsors have also been involved. Up till 1988, the surveys were planned by Gallup Finland (TNS Gallup Ltd, Kantar) and the Department of Political and Economic Studies at the University of Helsinki in collaboration with the political parties. After 1988, the planning has been in the hands of Gallup Finland and the parties.
From 1973 to 1990, the annual voter barometers were collected mainly with face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires, 1000-2000 interviews/barometer. Since 1991, the data have been collected with GallupChannel (PC's installed in respondents' homes). No surveys were conducted in 1985 and 1989.
Survey themes include voting behaviour, opinions on the government and the parties, and attitudes towards national political issues. In addition, respondents' economic expectations and political participation have often been studied, as well as their opinions on local politics, and the significance of the party leader to a party. Background variables have often included the social class of the respondent and the household head, economic activity of the household head, respondent's education, age, mother tongue, gender, party membership, political views, trade union membership, and family's annual income. There are also regional variables. Even though the variables are not always fully comparable from one survey to another, all kinds of comparisons over time are possible. The FSD collections cover data from 1973-2005.
This combined data includes surveys from 1973 to 1990. Survey themes include voting behaviour, opinions on the government and the parties, and attitudes towards national political issues. In addition, the respondents' economic expectations and political participation have often been studied, as well as their opinions on local politics, and the significance of the party leader to a party.
Background variables have often included the social class of the respondent and the household head, economic activity of the household head, the respondent's education, age, mother tongue, gender, party membership, political views, trade union membership, and the household's annual income. There are also regional variables.
Even though the variables are not always fully comparable from one survey to another, all kinds of comparisons over time are possible. The questions that have remained almost unchanged over the years cover the respondents' worries, their image of the parties, and which party they would not vote for. The combined data also include plenty of questions that have not been asked every year.
Multi-stage stratified sampling.
The data have been collected in 1973 - 1990. The annual collection dates have been 9.9.1973 - 17.10.1973, 2.5.1974 - 7.6.1974, March 1975 - April 1975, April 1976, 18.9.1977 - 10.10.1977, 15.9.1978 - 6.10.1978, November 1979, 20.4.1980 - 14.5.1980, 27.2.1981 - 23.3.1981, 10.3.1982 - 13.4.1982, 11.10.1982 - 1.11.1982, February 1983, 9.4.1984 - 2.5.1984, 7.4.1986 - 30.4.1986, 2.4.1987 - 29.4.1987, 10.3.1988 - 30.3.1988, and 17.9.1990 - 30.9.1990.