The country has changed since the first volume of this study was published in 2002: Hartz IV was introduced, a decline in unemployment was followed by the banking crisis in 2008; during the World Cup, "party patriotism" swept through the country; in 2010, Thilo Sarrazin's controversial theses dominated the headlines. In response to the media's short-term attention, Wilhelm Heitmeyer and his team present their long-term survey. They document, in a seismographic manner, the fears of the people, their attitudes towards vulnerable groups, and democracy. Ultimately, they were able to show that parts of the bourgeoisie are withdrawing their solidarity with "those down there" and are cultivating a "chilly jargon of contempt." In the tenth and final installment, they now take a scientific and personal stock.