Phase 1: Development of the Questionnaire
To find out about the attitudes of the political and media elites to the process of political communication, a standardised quantitative questionnaire has been developed which includes items relating to attitudes to: (1) the underlying structural conditions of the political and media system; (2) the influences of public; (3) the generation and the framing of political issues and the techniques of issuemanagement; and (4) the normative orientations of the actors to their mutual relationship.
Phase 2: Identification of Relevant Samples
For each country, an individual sampling scheme has been developed which allows identification of the envisaged number of 300 members of the political and media elite. All sampling schemes follow a positional approach. The political elite is comprised of politicians in elected office, party elites and political spokespersons. In some countries, members of interest groups and the administration are included as well. The media elite consists of the most important journalists reporting on national politics in each country.
Phase 3: Field Work
The interviewing process itself is planned for spring 2008. For the interviews, the participating country teams will work with renowned research institutes in their respective countries. Interviews will be conducted mainly by telephone (CATI), supplemented by face-toface interviews.
Phase 4: Data Analysis
After having completed phase 3, the responses will be thoroughly analysed using statistical methods. In doing so, truly comparative conclusions can be drawn about the state of political communication culture in Western Europe. We expect to identify various types of political communication culture and link them to specific institutional settings and actor constellations.
Phase 5: Dissemination of Findings
After completing the project, the relevant findings will be published together in a book. Dissemination of findings will also take place via scientific journals as well as presentations at international conferences. Findings, however, are not only of academic value, but also allow insight that is of practical relevance for politicians and journalists themselves. It is therefore envisaged to additionally disseminate the findings in conferences in the national capitals of the participating countries in order to discuss them with practitioners in the field.