Participation and Democracy: Dynamics, Causes ... - Jacobs University

Will you please place each of the little cards you have there on one of the parts of this
card to show me:
A) Whether, in a general way, you feel you approve strongly, approve, disapprove, or
disapprove strongly.
B) The extent to which these action may be effective when people use them in pressing
for changes. Are they usually very effective, somewhat effective, not very effective, or
not at all effective?
C) Whether 1) you have actually done any of these things on the cards during the past
ten years; 2) you would do any of these things if it were important to you; 3) you might
do it in a particular situation or 4) you would never do it under any circumstances.”
Some of the items used in the first Political Action Study entered the questionnaire of
the World Values Survey project, providing the largest data set available in terms of
number and variety of societies.
World Values Surveys/European Values Surveys
The World Values Survey (WVS) and the European Values Survey (EVS) provide the
largest source for data on values and attitudes of people around the globe. First carried
out in 1981 and originally based on 10 countries in Europe (EVS) and additional 14
countries around the world (WVS), the Values Surveys have become the broadest crossnational
surveys with a gradually increasing number of participating countries. The
second wave, conducted 1990 and 1991, covered already 43 societies; the third wave
between 1995 and 1997 included 62 societies (Diez-Medrano and Luijkx 2004: 399).
The fourth wave - carried out between 1999 and 2002 - surveyed, all in all, 81 societies,
comprising (Inglehart, Halman and Welzel 2004: 1). The fifth wave of the World Values
Survey was carried out between 2005 and 2007 27 in 52 societies around the globe.
Altogether, the World Values Surveys include surveys from 97 societies, covering about
90 percent of the world population. 28
27 Exception: Egypt’s fieldwork was carried out in 2008.
28 Further information can be obtained from the following website: http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org.
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