Public perceptions and misperceptions of political authority in the European Union

Stoeckel, Florian; Mérola, Vittorio; Thompson, Jack; Lyons, Benjamin; Reifler, Jason

Abstract

How do citizens understand political authority within multi-level systems? We use original survey data from six European Union member states to assess the roles of political identity and interest in shaping citizen attitudes towards political authority in the European Union. We find that citizens with a greater interest in politics are more likely to express views on the authority of the European Union. These individuals are less likely to be uninformed. Interest does not necessarily mean that individuals hold correct perceptions. A substantive number of voters are misinformed about the power of Brussels. We find that citizens with an exclusively national identity are more likely to hold misperceptions than those who think of themselves as both members of their nation and as Europeans.

Citation

Stoeckel, F., Mérola, V., Thompson, J., Lyons, B., & Reifler, J. (2024). Public perceptions and misperceptions of political authority in the European Union. European Union Politics, 25(1), 42-62. https://doi.org/10.1177/14651165231193833

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 18, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Aug 18, 2023
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Feb 15, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 15, 2024
• Journal: European Union Politics
• Print ISSN: 1465-1165
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-2757
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 42-62
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/14651165231193833
• Keywords: political authority, political interest, European identity, Euroscepticism, misperceptions
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2256835