Canadian Election Study, 1993: Incorporating the 1992 Referendum Survey on the Charlottetown Accord

Résumé 0

These data were collected to assess the importance of campaign dynamics and the impact of events in the understanding of election results. The study consists of five related surveys grouped around two main survey components: the referendum surveys and the election surveys. Respondents participated in at least two surveys, but not in all five. The election surveys were completed just prior to and after the October 25, 1993, Canadian election, and consist of campaign period, post-election, and mail-back components. The referendum surveys were completed just prior to and after the October 26, 1992, referendum on the Charlottetown Accord. The Charlottetown Accord contained various proposals, including the separation of Quebec from Canada as a sovereignty, the guarantee of one-quarter of the seats in the House of Commons to Quebec, and recognition of the right of Canada's aboriginal peoples to govern themselves. The major areas of investigation across all surveys were political and social awareness, attitudes, voting intentions, and behavior centered around major issues of representation, job and employment, government spending, taxes, social programs, crime and punishment, and continentalism. Variables assessed public interest in the referendum by asking respondents about the perceived effect of the referendum on their living standards, their vote intentions, predictions of the outcome of the vote, reactions to the results of the vote, knowledge about and opinions of specific provisions of the Accord, and awareness of the stand taken by political leaders, groups, and organizations regarding the Accord. Other variables probed respondents' opinions of the parties and leaders, Kim Campbell's performance in her cabinet job before she became Prime Minister, women and racial minorities, party preference, ideological leanings, vote history, and position on several policy issues. Additional items address general attitudes toward the deficit and higher taxes, abortion, Senate reform, aboriginal people, Canadian unity and Quebec sovereignty, feminists, homosexuals, immigrants, the business community, the media, unions, God, democracy, unemployment, inflation, and pensions. Demographic data collected on respondents include age, marital status, level of education, employment status, income level, religious affiliation, union affiliation, citizenship, ethnicity, language, and gender.