Looking To The Future Poll

Friday 19 May 2000

• Mail-out to 1,000 participants of the International Students' Competition 2000 between 24 March-7 April
• 287 returns, representing a 28.7% response
• Data are unweighted
• Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of don't knows/not stateds
• An asterisk (*) denotes a value of less than half of one per cent, but greater than zero

Q1 Would you describe your own politics as generally to the right, generally to the left or middle of the road?

Q2 Thinking over the next 25 years, do you expect the following in your country to be generally higher, lower or about the same?

Q3 And still thinking over the next 25 years, do you expect the following internationally to be generally higher, lower or about the same?

Q4 Thinking about your country over this 25-year period, do you expect the role of market forces in the way the economy runs to … ?

Q5 And over this 25-year period, do you expect the role of market forces in the way the economy runs internationally to … ?

Q6 In your country, do you expect that, over the next 25 years, taxes as a share of national income will be higher, lower or about the same as now?

Q7 Still thinking of your country, do you expect inequality of wealth and income between rich and poor to increase or decrease, over the next 25 years?

Q8 And thinking of the same thing internationally, do you expect inequality of wealth and income between rich and poor to increase or decrease, over the next 25 years?

Q9 Thinking of your country, how do you expect the quality of the environment to change over the next 25 years?

Q10 And thinking of internationally, how do you expect the quality of the environment to change over the next 25 years?

Q11 There is much talk nowadays about the internet and e-commerce. In your opinion, is this … ?

Q12 Looking over the next 25 years again, do you expect the role of national governments relative to international or local institutions to get … ?

Q13 And thinking of international organisations such as United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation, do you expect that over the next 25 years they will play a bigger role in the world, a smaller role or about the same as they do now?

Q14 And what of military alliances such as NATO? How do you see them changing over the next 25 years?

Q15 Thinking of the current European Union, which of the following comes nearest to your view of what will happen over the next 25 years?

Q16 Thinking over the next 25 years, please rank the following in order of their likely power in the world, marking 1 against the organisation you think will be most powerful, 2 against the second-most powerful and so on.

Q17 Comparing the next 25 years with the 20th Century as a whole, do you expect that they will be more peaceful internationally, less peaceful or about the same?

Q18 And how likely over that period do you think it is that there will be a Third World War?

Q19 How likely do you think it is that the 21st Century will be characterised in your country as one of stable government?

Q20 Do you think that the 21st Century will be generally characterised internationally as … ?

Q21 In 25 years' time, how likely do you think it is that … ?

Q22 And thinking of your country, do you believe that in 25 years' time … ?

Q23 Who do you think was the greatest individual of the 20th Century and why?

• See The Economist web site

Q24 Thinking of your own life, how likely do you think it is that you will get the job or jobs which will meet your expectations?

Q25 Which matters to you most?