Authors

• Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)
• Lindell, Marina (Åbo Akademi University. Social Science Research Institute)

Keywords

identity, minority language users, minority languages, parliamentary elections, party identification, political attitudes, political behaviour, political participation, political parties, politics, social change, social systems, trust

Abstract

The survey charted the identity of Swedish-speaking Finns and their opinions on politics and society. The survey also included questions on party affiliations, electoral behaviour, social trust, future prospects, health and well-being. The data was collected as part of the Citizen Panel of Swedish-speaking Finns (Barometern), which is part of The Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO). The data is particularly comprehensive and is part of the second major Barometer survey, which is carried out every two years. The first major Barometer survey (B1) was conducted in 2019.

Respondents were first asked about their identity, before moving on to ask questions related to politics. For example, respondents were asked how satisfied they were with the way democracy works. Respondents were then asked to place themselves on a right-left spectrum based on their political opinions. Further questions were asked about parliamentary elections and voting behaviour. They were asked which party they usually vote for and which issues are important when deciding which party to vote for. Respondents were also asked what they thought about other political parties. They were also asked about the 2022 Finnish county elections and about voting in them. Next, respondents were asked about their trust in research results, politicians and institutions. They were also asked about their views on the extent of corruption. Respondents were then asked about their opinions on various current political issues. Finally, respondents were asked about their views on the future prospects of social issues and society, their own health and their satisfaction with life.

Background variables included the respondent's NUTS3 region of residence, mother tongue, gender, year of birth, age, highest level of education, religious affiliation, political party preference, social class, occupational status and marital status.