Swaying Citizen Support for EU Membership:: Evidence from a Survey Experiment of German Voters

N Yordanova; M Angelova; R Lehrer; M Osnabruegge; Sander Renes

doi:10.1177/1465116520923735

Swaying Citizen Support for EU Membership: Evidence from a Survey Experiment of German Voters

N Yordanova, M Angelova, R Lehrer, M Osnabruegge, Sander Renes

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Abstract

The United Kingdom’s 2016 ‘Brexit’ referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU) raised concerns that other countries would follow suit. This article examines how arguments about EU membership related to economic, cultural, political, and security and peace issues could influence how citizens would vote in EU membership referendums. Our two-wave survey experiment on a random sample of the German population and difference-in-differences analysis revealed that only fears of being outvoted in EU decision-making swayed German voters’ attitudes about EU membership, particularly voters with weaker EU support, little EU knowledge and low levels of political engagement. We therefore conclude that concerns about sovereignty loss can be drivers of Euroscepticism even in a country that has vast influence over EU decisions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	429-450
Number of pages	22
Journal	European Union Politics
Volume	21
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1465116520923735
Publication status	Published - 18 Nov 2020

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title = "Swaying Citizen Support for EU Membership:: Evidence from a Survey Experiment of German Voters",

abstract = "The United Kingdom{\textquoteright}s 2016 {\textquoteleft}Brexit{\textquoteright} referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU) raised concerns that other countries would follow suit. This article examines how arguments about EU membership related to economic, cultural, political, and security and peace issues could influence how citizens would vote in EU membership referendums. Our two-wave survey experiment on a random sample of the German population and difference-in-differences analysis revealed that only fears of being outvoted in EU decision-making swayed German voters{\textquoteright} attitudes about EU membership, particularly voters with weaker EU support, little EU knowledge and low levels of political engagement. We therefore conclude that concerns about sovereignty loss can be drivers of Euroscepticism even in a country that has vast influence over EU decisions.",

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AU - Renes, Sander

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Swaying Citizen Support for EU Membership: Evidence from a Survey Experiment of German Voters

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