DOI: 10.3886/icpsr02988
title: Israeli Election Study, 1973
title: Archival Version

description: This study is one in a series of election studies conducted since 1969 by Alan Arian and Michal Shamir that investigated voting patterns, public opinion, and political participation in Israel. This study in particular was conducted during May 1973-January 1974, prior to the elections of the 8th Knesset, and carried out in five phases. Respondents were asked to evaluate their general personal situations and that of Israel, and identify their knowledge of politics, interest and involvement in politics, previous participation in a youth movement, access to media (television, radio, and newspaper) pertaining to political affairs, and factors which would influence voting decisions including the October 1973 Yom Kippur War. Views were also elicited from respondents in regard to the Israeli government including the main problems it faces, a time estimate for resolution, and the development of a peace agreement with the Palestinians to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. Respondents were asked to define and evaluate political parties such as an ideal party, Gahal Party, and Alignment Party, and to evaluate other political parties such as the Labor Party and National Religious Party. In addition, respondents were queried about their knowledge of the new Likud Party and Gahal Party and whether each party, if elected, would bring changes to the government and represent a substitute for the Labor Party. Respondents' opinions were sought in regard to Prime Minister Golda Meir, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, Likud Party Chairman Menachem Begin, and Knesset member Ariel Sharon and other political leaders including the city mayor and several combinations of political coalitions. Respondents also gave their level of satisfaction with the elections and government, and their views on social and economic issues, foreign, security, and peace matters (including occupied territories), the positions of political parties (including the opposition), and attributes of political parties and leaders. The survey queried respondents about both the election's and their own personal ability to influence government policy. Questions covered voting intention and history (personal and paternal), the importance of voting in the election versus supporting a particular party, coverage of elections in the media, perception of leaders, the effects of the election campaign, their views on public polls, and their participation in the election. Respondents also identified the role of the Histadrut as a trade union, whether they were members of this organization or a medical insurance plan, and how they received medical treatment. Post-war surveys asked respondents for their opinions about the political parties and candidates and for whom to vote, the influence of the Yom Kippur War on Israel and factors responsible for the changes, and whether the elections should be held on December 31, 1973, or postponed for a length of time. Demographic questions include gender, age, birthplace and education (personal and paternal), marital status, head of household, occupation, employment status and sector, employer, monthly family income, household characteristics, and left-right political self-placement. In addition, respondents were queried about the year they immigrated to Israel, their observation of religious tradition, and whether and how long the husband belonged to the army during the war. Place and date of the interview have only been included in the December 1973 Survey and January 1974 Survey.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: May 1973 Survey
DS2: September 1973 Survey
DS3: November 1973 Survey
DS4: December 1973 Survey
DS5: January 1974 Survey
description: Urban adult Jewish population in Israel aged 20 and over, who were, eligible voters, in Greater Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem. Smallest Geographic Unit: state
description: (1) The fieldwork was carried out by the Israeli Institute for Applied Social Research. (2) The data for this study are also available through the Israel Social Sciences Data Center Web site. (3) This survey was carried out in five phases: the first two before the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, and the following three after the war. The May 1973 Survey was based on a representative sample of the urban adult Jewish population and included 1,939 respondents. The September 1973 Survey is a panel of the May sample with 548 of the May interviewees reinterviewed in September. Three interviews were held after the war on three representative samples of the adult urban Jewish population: the first in November with 642 respondents, the second in December with 530 respondents (the elections were held on December 31, 1973, after the December survey), and the third post-war survey was conducted in January 1974, with 1,066 respondents. (4) The total number of interviews for the May 1973 Survey is 1,917. For the September 1973 Survey, the total is 523. For the January 1974 Survey, the total is 1,085. The documentation incorrectly shows the total number of interviews for the May 1973 Survey as 1,939, for the September 1973 Survey as 548, and for the January 1974 Survey as 1,066. (5) Five original variables, V75 and B44 (Part 1), and C67, D61, and E20 (Part 2) with variable label "RECORD TYPE", are present in, but no longer relevant to, the current data. (6) Variables pertaining to three questions in the November 1973 Survey do not appear in the data. Please refer to the "Processing Notes" section in the ICPSR codebook for further information.