Results for the nine-nation survey are based on telephone interviews conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates among a nationwide, representative sample of 1,032 adults, 18 years of age or older, in the United States, 962 in Britain, 485 in France, 524 in Germany, 500 in Italy, and 503 in Spain. In Russia, 501 telephone interviews were conducted in urban areas of 500,000 or greater. In Poland, the interviews were conducted face-to-face in urban areas with 500 adults. In Turkey, the nationwide survey was conducted face-to-face among 513 adults. The fieldwork was conducted by NOP in Britain between March 14-16, 2003, by IFOP in France between March 13-14, 2003, by EMNID in Germany between March 14-15, 2003, by Pragma in Italy between March 12-14, 2003, by Romir in Russia between March 12-14, 2003, by Democopia in Spain between March 12-17, 2003, by Demoskop in Poland between March 10-14, 2003, by PIAR in Turkey between March 10-17, 2003, and by Princeton Data Source in the U.S. between March 13-16, 2003. For results based on the total sample in the United States and Britain, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points; in each of the other seven countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Russia and Turkey), sampling error is plus or minus 5 percentage points.
In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.
About the Pew Global Attitudes Project
This poll is part of the Pew Global Attitudes Project. The project’s first major report, “What the World Thinks in 2002,” focusing on how people view their lives, their countries and the world, was released Dec. 4, 2002. It and other international polling by the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press are available online at www.pewresearch.org/politics.
“The Pew Global Attitudes Project” is a series of worldwide public-opinion surveys that measure the impact of globalization, modernization, rapid technological and cultural change and the Sept. 11 terrorist events on the values and attitudes of more than 38,000 people in 44 countries worldwide. It will be conducted and released over the course of two years.
The Project is chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. Andrew Kohut, director of The Pew Research Center For The People & The Press, is the project director. An international advisory board – consisting of regional experts, academics, activists, and business and government leaders and chaired by Sec. Albright – provides guidance in shaping the surveys. Team members include Bruce Stokes, a columnist at the National Journal; Mary McIntosh, vice-president of Princeton Survey Research Associates; and Elizabeth Mueller Gross and Nicole Speulda, of the Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center staff Carroll Doherty, Michael Dimock, Scott Keeter, Nilanthi Samaranayake and Peyton Craighill also contributed to this report. The Global Attitudes Project is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with a supplemental grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
