Economic Calculus or Familiarity Breeds Content?

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the extent to which perceptions of economic self‐interest affect levels of public support for European Community integration, both at the macro‐level and the micro‐level. The macro‐level analysis examines the impact of variables such as net budgetary transfers between the EC and individual member states, each country's position in the international division of labour, as well as several indicators of economic development. At the micro‐level, the chapter analyses the influence of individual economic circumstances, perceptions, and expectations on public attitudes and orientations.

Identity, Interests and Attitudes to European Integration

“…The other countries' citizens generally can be said to be highly favourable toward their countries' membership of the EU, but with some fluctuation in the degree of support. One other point to note about Figure 2.1 is that -as documented elsewhere (Bosch and Newton 1995) -the Original Six countries are fairly consistently higher than the EU average in their degree of support for their countries' EU membership.…”

Dynamics in European Political Identity

“…Not least among them is the obvious economic success of the process of European integration (Dalton and Eichenberg 1992;Eichenberg and Dalton 1993). Also, the greater permeability of national borders after the agreement of Schengen, as well as the ever-increasing contact frequency of European citizens as a result of progressing economic integration, might have promoted perceptions of community and mutual solidarity among EU citizens (Schmitt and Treiber-Reif 1990;Bosch and Newton 1995). The political concept of a European identity was designed by the Copenhagen summit in December 1973 and followed by the establishment of symbols like the flag and the anthem in the beginning of the 1980s.…”

How Europeans See Europe : Structure and Dynamics of European Legitimacy Beliefs

“…However, economic evaluations are not necessarily of a 'pocket-book' nature but often 'sociotrophic' (Lewis-Beck 1990). Such evaluations of general well-being are best measured by subjective economic measures (Bosch & Newton 1995;Marsh 1999). National economy and Personal economy are indicators that measure people's subjective expectations for the national and the personal economic situation respectively.…”

“…10 But others are of the view that Membership is also an indicator of diffuse/affective orientations. 11 Bosch & Newton (1995) assume a continuum running from diffuse to specific on which Unification, Membership and Benefit are located in this order, which amounts to the assumption that each of these items indicates both concepts, but in different 'mixes'. Still others reject the notion that these survey questions measure different concepts.…”

“…Easton (1965Easton ( , 1975 distinguishes diffuse and specific support, but this distinction is sometimes interpreted bi-polar (e.g. Bosch & Newton 1995;Norris 1999). Lindberg & Scheingold (1970) separates utilitarian from affective support, which has strongly influenced the research on citizens' attitudes towards the European Union.…”