The harmonised core module data are available in the combined dataset. The questions contained in the core modules of the two SASAS questionnaires for 2005 (demographics and core thematic issues) were asked of 7000 respondents, while the remaining rotating modules were asked of a half sample of approximately 3500 respondents each. The combined data set contains 5734 records and 167 variables. Topics included in the questionnaires are: democracy, national identity, public services, moral and religious issues, crime, voting, water, demographics and other classificatory variables. This version of the combined dataset should be used where analysis is to be performed at individual level.

This dataset belongs to a three-part study on American representation conducted shortly before and after the 1958 congressional election (see also AMERICAN REPRESENTATION STUDY, 1958: CANDIDATES [ICPSR 7226] and AMERICAN REPRESENTATION STUDY, 1958: CANDIDATE AND CONSTITUENT, PARTY [ICPSR 7292]). The survey administered to the candidates was designed to elicit information on what they considered to be the most important issues of the campaign, their views on these issues, and their perceptions of the positions of their constituents. The candidates were also asked what influenced them, and what they felt influenced the outcome of the campaign. Derived measures calculate 85th Congress roll-call scores on social welfare, foreign involvement, and civil rights issues. Roll-call data and information on committee activities of the congressmen are also provided. The combined candidate and constituent files (this collection and ICPSR 7292) contain the same candidate information as in ICPSR 7226, but are structured around the district as unit of analysis. This data collection provides candidate and constituent data organized by incumbency status of candidates, while ICPSR 7292 is organized by party identification of the candidates. In addition to the survey information on the candidates, this collection contains data on constituents taken from the 1956, 1958, and 1960 AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDIES (ICPSR 7214, 7215, and 7216) for 114 of the 146 districts. Demographic information on candidates includes sex, race, year of birth, size of birthplace, highest graduate degree, prior occupations, public offices previously held, several indices of spatial mobility, religious preference, and ethnic background.

The module was administered as a post-election interview. The resulting data are provided along with voting, demographic, district and macro variables in a single dataset. CSES Variable List The list of variables is being provided on the CSES Website to help in understanding what content is available from CSES, and to compare the content available in each module. Themes: MICRO-LEVEL DATA: Identification and study administration variables: weighting factors;election type; date of election 1st and 2nd round; study timing (post election study, pre-election and post-election study, between rounds of majoritarian election); mode of interview; gender of interviewer; date questionnaire administered; primary electoral district of respondent; number of days the interview was conducted after the election Demography: age; gender; education; marital status; union membership; union membership of others in household; current employment status; main occupation; employment type - public or private; industrial sector; occupation of chief wage earner and of spouse; household income; number of persons in household; number of children in household under the age of 18; attendance at religious services; religiosity; religious denomination; language usually spoken at home; race; ethnicity; region of residence; rural or urban residence Survey variables: respondent cast a ballot at the current and the previous election; respondent cast candidate preference vote at the previous election; satisfaction with the democratic process in the country; last election was conducted fairly; form of questionnaire (long or short); party identification; intensity of party identification; political parties care what people think; political parties are necessary; recall of candidates from the last election (name, gender and party); number of candidates correctly named; sympathy scale for selected parties and political leaders; assessment of the state of the economy in the country; assessment of economic development in the country; degree of improvement or deterioration of economy; politicians know what people think; contact with a member of parliament or congress during the past twelve months; attitude towards selected statements: it makes a difference who is in power and who people vote for; people express their political opinion; self-assessment on a left-right-scale; assessment of parties and political leaders on a left-right-scale; political information items DISTRICT-LEVEL DATA: number of seats contested in electoral district; number of candidates; number of party lists; percent vote of different parties; official voter turnout in electoral district MACRO-LEVEL DATA: founding year of parties; ideological families of parties; international organization the parties belong to; left-right position of parties assigned by experts; election outcomes by parties in current (lower house/upper house) legislative election; percent of seats in lower house received by parties in current lower house/upper house election; percent of seats in upper house received by parties in current lower house/upper house election; percent of votes received by presidential candidate of parties in current elections; electoral turnout; electoral alliances permitted during the election campaign; existing electoral alliances; most salient factors in the election; head of state (regime type); if multiple rounds: selection of head of state; direct election of head of state and process of direct election; threshold for first-round victory; procedure for candidate selection at final round; simple majority or absolute majority for 2nd round victory; year of presidential election (before or after this legislative election); process if indirect election of head of state; head of government (president or prime minister); selection of prime minister; number of elected legislative chambers; for lower and upper houses was coded: number of electoral segments; number of primary districts; number of seats; district magnitude (number of members elected from each district); number of secondary and tertiary electoral districts; compulsory voting; votes cast; voting procedure; electoral formula; party threshold; parties can run joint lists; requirements for joint party lists; possibility of apparentement; types of apparentement agreements; multi-party endorsements; multi-party endorsements on ballot; ally party support; constitutional prerogatives of the head of state; constitutional powers of prime minister; methods of cabinet dismissal; dissolution of legislature