Study title

Follow-up on Parliamentary Elections 2007

Dataset ID Number

FSD2419

Persistent identifier

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD2419

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Moring, Tom (University of Helsinki. Swedish School of Social Science)
• TNS Gallup Finland

Abstract

The survey charts voting behaviour in the 2007 parliamentary elections, which were held just before the study was conducted. The survey was conducted as part of the "Changes in Finnish TV Election Campaigns" project. In addition, the survey was also part of the Political Participation and Modes of Democracy project funded by the Academy of Finland and led by professor Heikki Paloheimo.

First, the respondents were asked questions on candidate selectors / voting advice applications, for example which candidate selectors they had used and how many times, and what their experiences of and attitudes towards candidate selectors were. The respondents were also asked whether they had followed any programmes or seen any advertisements connected with the elections in various media, and what they thought about the election campaigns of different parties. Election advertising was further examined by asking which parties' or candidates' advertisements they had seen on TV, whether they considered political advertisements useful for the party they supported, and what their attitude towards political advertising on TV was.

In connection with the 2007 parliamentary elections, the respondents were asked whether they had voted, which party they had voted for and why, and which issues were important in making the voting decision. The respondents were also asked to state at which point they had made their voting decision, which one they chose first: political party or candidate, which factors influenced their choice of candidate, and from which information sources they had received information concerning their decision. Further questions pertained to the campaigns organised before the elections by the Ministry of Justice and the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK). The purpose of these campaigns was to increase willingness to vote. The respondents were asked how they had received information on the campaigns, how they had affected the respondents, and what the respondents' attitudes towards the campaigns were. In addition, the effects of various political issues at the time of the elections (e.g. confusion over election funding, election advertising, and candidates' performances on TV) on the party the respondents supported were surveyed. Those who had abstained from voting were asked reasons for their abstention. In addition, they were asked which party they had voted for in the 2004 municipal elections, in the 2003 parliamentary elections, and in the second round of the last presidential elections. In conclusion, the respondents were asked which party would be the least unpleasant alternative for them.

Background variables included the respondent's age, gender, mother tongue, basic and vocational education, type of accommodation, occupational group, trade union membership, household annual gross income, region of residence, and number of children aged under 18 in the household.

Keywords

advertising; election campaigns; elections; parliamentary elections; political allegiance; political parties; television advertising; voting advice applications; voting behaviour

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Political behaviour and attitudes (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Elections (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Follow-ups on Finnish National and Local Elections (GallupChannel)

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• TNS Gallup Finland

Data Producers

• TNS Gallup Finland

Time Period Covered

2007

Collection Dates

2007-03-19 – 2007-03-25

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

People aged between 15 and 70 living in Finland (excluding the Åland Islands)

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Probability: Multistage

The data were collected with the help of GallupChannel research system, which involves installing personal computers or Internet terminals in the homes of the respondents. The fixed sample used with the GallupChannel is a result of multistage stratified sampling and is representative of the target population.

Collection Mode

Face-to-face interview: Computer-assisted (CAPI/CAMI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

1.0

Related Datasets

FSD2024 Follow-up on Parliamentary Elections 2003

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Moring, Tom (University of Helsinki) & TNS Gallup Finland: Follow-up on Parliamentary Elections 2007 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2009-06-29). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD2419

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Moring, Tom & Mykkänen, Juri (2009). Vaalikampanja. Teoksessa: Vaalit yleisödemokratiassa. Eduskuntavaalitutkimus 2007 (toim. Borg, Sami & Paloheimo, Heikki), 28-59. Tampere: Tampere University Press.

Moring, Tom & Mykkänen, Juri (2012). Vaalikampanjat ja viestinnällistyminen. Teoksessa: Muutosvaalit 2011 (toim. Borg, Sami), 62-78. Helsinki: Oikeusministeriö. Oikeusministeriön julkaisu; OMSO 16/2012. Helsinki: Edita. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-259-172-2.

Demokratiaindikaattorit 2013. Toim. Borg, Sami. Helsinki: Oikeusministeriö. Selvityksiä ja ohjeita 52/2013. URN:ISBN:978-952-259-334-4