Cross-sectional data
The BES has historically conducted a post-election in-person (face-to-face) survey to obtain responses from a representative sample of the general population after the election (and also before the election in a few instances). These data provide a representative ‘snap-shot’ of the population and each dataset includes a new set of survey respondents. The BES cross-section surveys commonly include a post-election mailback survey component and sometimes include a pre and post interview response from the same respondents, which are denoted by variables preceding: a (pre-election), b (post-election), c (mailback). The following list of surveys goes back as far as we are currently able to source all data. The earliest surveys will be added soon.
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1983 BES Cross-Section
1983 BES Face to Face Cross-Section
Heath, A., Jowell, R. and Curtice, J.K., British General Election Study, 1983; Cross-Section Survey [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive [distributor], 1983.You need to log in to download BES files. Sign in or register for a free account
1979 BES Cross-Section
1979 BES Face to Face Cross Section.
Crewe, I.M., Robertson, D.R. and Sarlvik, B., British Election Study, May 1979; Cross-Section Survey [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive [distributor], 1981.You need to log in to download BES files. Sign in or register for a free account
1974 October BES Cross-Section
1974 October BES Face to Face Cross Section.
Crewe, I.M., Robertson, D.R. and Sarlvik, B., British Election Study, October 1974; Scottish Cross-Section Sample [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive [distributor], 1977.You need to log in to download BES files. Sign in or register for a free account
1974 February BES Cross-Section
1974 February BES Face to Face Cross-Section.
Alt, J., Crewe, I.M. and Sarlvik, B., British Election Study, February 1974; Cross-Section Survey [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive [distributor], 1976.You need to log in to download BES files. Sign in or register for a free account
1963-1970 Political Change in Britain
1963-1970 Political Change in Britain Collated data from Face-to-Face Cross-Section and Panel Surveys.
Butler, David, and Donald E. Stokes. POLITICAL CHANGE IN BRITAIN, 1963-1970 [Computer file]. ICPSR07250-v3. Conducted by David Butler, Bibliographic Citation: Nuffield College, Oxford, and Donald E. Stokes, University of Michigan, 1979. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [producer and distributor].You need to log in to download BES files. Sign in or register for a free account