Political Attitudes Resources

Questions on Political Attitudes were asked within the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Further questions on Identity were asked in 2007.
Questions on the Role of Government were asked in 2007 as part of the International Social Survey Programme.
Questions on Democratic Participation were asked in 2005.
Questions were also asked of 12-17 year olds in the Young Life and Times Survey in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and of 16 year olds in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

ARK Resources

• Beyond gross divisions: national and religious identity combinations (Research Update 58) by Orla Muldoon, Niamh McNamara, Paula Devine and Karen Trew, uses data from the Identity module in the 2007 Life and Times Survey.
• Can Northern Ireland become normal? Attitudes to the role of government in Northern Ireland (Research Update 57) by Robin Wilson and Elizabeth Meehan, uses data from the 2007 Life and Times Survey
• A Truth Commission for Northern Ireland? (Research Update 46) by Patricia Lundy and Mark McGovern
• Should Northern Ireland have a Truth Commission?, by Mark McGovern and Patricia Lundy - a seminar held on 7 November 2006
• In Search of the Middle Ground: Integrated Education and Northern Ireland Politics (Research Update 42) by Bernadette C Hayes, Ian McAllister and Lizanne Dowds, uses data from the 1998-2003 Life and Times Survey, as well as 1998 and 2003 Election Surveys
• Driven to disaffection: Religious Independents in Northern Ireland (Research Update 41) by Ian McAllister, uses data from the 1998-2004 Life and Times Survey, as well as 1998 and 2003 Election Surveys
• The Erosion of Consent: Protestant Disillusionment with the Agreement (Research Update 32), by Ian McAllister, Bernadette C Hayes and Lizanne Dowds
• Young People's Attitudes to Politics and Elections, by Dirk Schubotz
• Good Bargains? (Research Update 29), by Roger MacGinty
• What our Politicians Should Know (Research Update 18), by Roger MacGinty
• Police and the youth vote (Research Update 13), by Roger Mac Ginty and Rick Wilford
  
• Better, worse, or just the same? Public attitudes towards the Northern Ireland Assembly (Research Update 12) by Roger Mac Ginty
  
• Now what? Attitudes to devolution in Northern Ireland (Research Update 3) by Roger Mac Ginty and Rick Wilford
  
• Government not Politics! (Research Update 2) by Roger Mac Ginty and John Darby
• The Online Research Bank contains a summary of 'Making a Difference? Public Attitudes to Devolution' by Roger Mac Ginty in Lloyd, K et al. 'Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland: the 9th report'.
  
• The Politics, Political Parties and Election section of the CAIN web site includes information on devolved government, political initatives, political parties and polls.
  
• The CAIN website's section on Policing contains the full text of the Report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (Patten Report), as well as responses to it.
  
• Northern Ireland Elections contains detailed information on past elections in Northern Ireland.
  
• Politics: the next generation is based on a research project undertaken by Democratic Dialogue in 1996, which explored the political views of young people between 14 and 24.
  
• An Introduction to Symbols used in Northern Ireland can be found on CAIN.
• Surveys Online (SOL) contains results for the 2006 Role of Government ISSP module from the Republic of Ireland and from the British Social Attitudes Survey.

• SOL also contains tables of results from other surveys focusing on politics:

  • Northern Ireland Referendum and Election Study - 1998
  • Northern Ireland Assembly Elections Study - 2003
  • Political Participation, Interests and Attitudes of Women in Northern Ireland - 1991

Other Links

• The Human Rights Commission for Northern Ireland aims to ensure that the human rights of everyone in Northern Ireland are fully and firmly protected in law, policy and practice.
  
• The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is the body responsible for combating discrimination and promoting equality in Northern Ireland.
  
• The Parades Commission has responsibility for reaching conclusions in relation to disputed parades. This responsibility was transferred from the RUC (now the Police Service of Northern Ireland) by the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.
  
• The 2001 Political Attitudes module was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (Award L219252024) under the Devolution and Constitutional Change Programme.
• The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament, whose mission is to foster public confidence and participation in the democratic process in the UK. Their website includes a section specifically on Northern Ireland.
• The Northern Ireland Assembly website provides information on the work of the Assembly, live coverage of Assembly business, and information on MLAs.
• The website of the Northern Ireland Executive provides information on government departments, publications, and ministerial code.

Maintained by Paula Devine