Political Attitudes Resources

Questions on Politics were asked within the Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) survey in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
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 on Politics were also asked of 16-year-olds in the Young Life and Times (YLT) surveyfrom 2003.
Questions on Citizenship were asked in the YLT survey in 2018.

Questions on Identity were asked in the NILT survey in 2007.
Questions on Identity were asked in the YLT survey from 2003 to 2022.

Questions on Brexit were asked in the 2018 Kids' Life and Times (KLT) survey.
View ARK resources relating to Brexit.

ARK Resources

• Bordering on a Poll? Attitudes in Northern Ireland on the Constitutional Question (Research Update 165) by Katy Hayward and Ben Rosher, uses data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times survey.
• Political identities and aspirations in Northern Ireland (Research Update 155) by Katy Hayward and Ben Rosher, uses data from the 2023 Northern Ireland Life and Times survey.
• Does Northern Ireland lean Left or Right? (Research Update 154) by Katy Hayward and Ben Rosher, uses data from the 2023 Northern Ireland Life and Times survey.
• Northern Ireland Peace Monitoring Report - A team led by ARK produced the Fifth and Sixth Peace Monitoring Reports which chart peace, political and social policy in Northern Ireland.
• Political Attitudes in Northern Ireland 25 Years after the Agreement (Research Update 151) by Katy Hayward and Ben Rosher, is based on data from the 2022 Northern Ireland Life and Times survey.
• Political Attitudes in Northern Ireland after Brexit and under the Protocol (Research Update 147) by Katy Hayward, Milena Komarova and Ben Rosher examines data from the 2021 Northern Ireland Life and Times survey.
• Political Attitudes in Northern Ireland in a Period of Transition (Research Update 142) by Katy Hayward and Ben Rosher uses data from the 2020 Northern Ireland Life and Times survey.
• Political attitudes at a time of flux (Research Update 133) by Katy Hayward and Ben Rosher uses data from the 2019 Northern Ireland Life and Times survey.
• Changes in national and religious identity of 16 year olds over time (Research Update 132) by Charlotte Bradley is based on data from the Young Life and Times surveys. You can view a video of Charlotte talking about this publication.
• Our future - no vote: Attitudes to Brexit among children and young people (Research Update 130) by Dirk Schubotz, Martina McKnight, Katrina Lloyd and Paula Devine is based on data from the 2018 Young Life and Times, and 2018 Kids' Life and Times surveys.
• Not a snowball or protestor in sight! When a Taoiseach visits Belfast (ARK Feature 11) by Brendan Lynn compares the visit of Leo Varadker to Belfast in 2018 with the visit of Sean Lemass in 1965.
• If at first you don’t succeed then try, try, try… again – political negotiations in Northern Ireland 1969- 2017 (ARK Feature 1) by Brendan Lynn highlights the historical context of political negotiations.
• Waking up in a different country: Brexit and Northern Ireland (Research Update 116) by Cathy Gormley-Heenan, Arthur Aughey and Paula Devine, is based on data from the 2016 Life and Times Survey.
• 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 is accompanied by this seminar held on 7 November 2006 (slides only available here).
• 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 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 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