Eurobarometer 64.2: The European Constitution, Globalization, Energy Resources, and Agricultural Policy, October-November 2005

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This round of Eurobarometer surveys queried respondents on standard Eurobarometer measures, such as how satisfied they were with their present life, whether they attempted to persuade others close to them to share their views on subjects they held strong opinions about, whether they discussed political matters, what their country's goals should be for the next 10 or 15 years, and how they viewed the need for societal change. Additional questions focused on the respondents' knowledge of and opinions on the European Union (EU), including how well-informed they felt about the EU, what sources of information about the EU they used, whether their country had benefited from being an EU member (or would benefit from being a future member), and the extent of their personal interest in EU matters. Another major focus of the surveys was to ask respondents to express their opinion regarding EU enlargement including whom they would favor to join the EU, and in particular, the possible accession of Turkey. Respondents residing in EU countries were asked to identify fears they may have regarding EU enlargement. All respondents were asked their opinion about the effects of and the EU's role in globalization. The survey also examines world politics by asking respondents about the roles of the United States and the EU, and in general how the EU would compare itself to the United States, Japan, China, and India in several areas. In addition, respondents were asked to identify two most important issues facing their country, and whether the process of decision-making about these issues should be done by their country alone, by the EU, or jointly. The survey also queried respondents about their views on (1) the EU's budget and its allocation of funds to programs, (2) the EU's role in immigration, health care and economics including trade, pensions, and employment, and (3) the EU's development of economic, defense, and security policies, educational programs, and a constitution. Special topics included energy consumption, agricultural policy, and media use. Respondents were asked about their usage of energy, and about how the EU's citizens and government could reduce consumption and utilize alternative resources. They were also asked about EU agricultural policy and how it may benefit farmers, consumers, the environment, and the world market. In addition, respondents were asked questions regarding the types of media they used to obtain news and information about the EU, frequency of news media use, the purpose for Internet use, and their views regarding how frequently the media talks about the EU and how the media presents the EU to citizens. Demographic and other background information includes respondent's age, gender, nationality, marital status, left-right political self-placement, occupation, age at completion of full-time education, household composition, and use of a fixed or a mobile telephone. In addition, country-specific data include size of locality, region of residence (local codes), language of interview (select countries), household income, and a list of television channels, radio stations, and daily newspapers that respondents regularly viewed, listened to, or read during the course of a week.