A Scrutiny of the Linz-Moreno Question

In this research note we delve into the Linz-Moreno question—one of the most employed measures of national and regional identity in political science—by analzsing three different assumptions that the indicator relies upon: First, we test whether this instrument captures a negative linear trend between identities. Second, we examine whether the Linz-Moreno question also captures identity intensity. Third, we focus on the middle-identity category and examine whether it encapsulates people’s dual sense of belonging where there are two different national identities. Using data from the Making Electoral Democracy Work Project for the Spanish/Catalan case, we show that the Linz-Moreno question meets the assumptions of linearity, intensity, and the meaning of the role of the central category when capturing Catalan identity feelings. However, it fails to capture Spanish identity intensity and preferences, which over-represents the dual-identity middle category. Our empirical findings have crucial consequences for researchers working in the field of national/regional identities.