Ethik-Monitor 2009

The Ethik-Monitor, run by the Hamburger Stiftung für Wirtschaftsethik, is a social science study of values which was developed in collaboration with the University of Bamberg and Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, and is carried out regularly with various project partners. 

Based on approximately one thousand representative, face-to-face interviews in each round, the Ethics Monitor provides insights into the values and attitudes of the population and examines people’s views on political and economic institutions and their representatives, on issues of justice, and on the acceptance of the political and economic system in general. In 2009, the Ethik-Monitor was carried out with a focus on the financial crisis and the federal election. The emphasis was therefore on politics and values. The survey was based on a telephone poll using a representative random sample. It was carried out in 2009 by the opinion research institute BACES at the University of Bamberg.

Which parties stand to benefit from the financial crisis?

The survey primarily examined values and attitudes towards the political system, leading politicians and the parties in the German Bundestag. Do German citizens see their values reflected in the leading candidates for the Bundestag election, and are these values even relevant when deciding how to cast their vote? Which policy areas are most important to the public, and which parties are considered most capable of solving problems in these areas? Are there any parties or politicians benefiting from the current financial crisis, and are there even signs of a shift in political direction? The study sought to answer all these questions.

Which economic actors do German citizens trust most in times of crisis?

The topic of values and the economy also featured in the survey. The Ethik-Monitor illustrated how citizens assess the economic and financial system in relation to their own economic situation. It also identified which actors have gained trust and which have lost it in the wake of the financial crisis. Furthermore, the study addressed the question of whether citizens would like to see greater state intervention in the economy and the financial markets, or whether they consider it more important for the market to be given more leeway to help overcome the crisis.

Are there any indications of a shift in values compared with 2006?

The first Ethik-Monitor in 2006, which focused on the economy, revealed, amongst other things, that the public’s trust in large commercial enterprises is low and that only a small proportion of the population considers the economic system to be functional, fair and transparent. Leading business representatives were regarded as corrupt and not guided by the common good. Small and medium-sized enterprises, by contrast, were accorded significantly more trust. Furthermore, the study revealed a values gap between politicians and the public. The extent to which these findings were confirmed or had changed by 2009 was also part of the investigation.

For instance, almost half of all respondents in 2009 believed that democracy works well. As many as 32 per cent trust the Federal Government. That is 18 per cent more than in 2006. By contrast, only seven per cent of German citizens still place their trust in the major banks, and 60 per cent are calling for clear and firm state safeguards for the economy.

The financial system enjoys the least trust, but German citizens take an optimistic view of their own economic situation.

49 per cent rate the functioning of democracy as good. By contrast, 54 per cent of those surveyed state that the financial system is functioning poorly. Paradoxically, the majority of German citizens view their own economic situation positively, even though only seven per cent of Germans believe that the country’s economic situation is in good shape.

Results immediately prior to the 2009 federal election

The SPD is unable to capitalise on its people-centred policy programme.

On the two most important issues of the 2009 ‘super election year’ – ‘financial market regulation’ and ‘minimum wage’ – German citizens feel their views are represented much more clearly by the SPD than by the CDU. However, this agreement on policy has little influence on party preference. Voters consider the CDU to be more likeable, competent and credible. Even amongst its own voters, the SPD lags significantly behind the level of favourability that CDU supporters attribute to their party.

All results and press releases from the Ethik-Monitor study are now available for download. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in publishing the data or have any questions regarding the dataset.