IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/eeupol/v22y2021i2p293-315.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

National identity profiles and support for the European Union

Author

Listed:
  • Julian Aichholzer

    (Department of Government, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria)

  • Sylvia Kritzinger

    (Department of Government, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria)

  • Carolina Plescia

Abstract

Scholars have long recognized that national identity-related factors are among the strongest predictors of citizens’ attitudes toward the European Union. But while some find that they reinforce support for the European Union, other scholars show that national identity undermines its support. In this article, we aim to disentangle this puzzle by studying how the national identity profiles of European citizens relate to support for the European Union across individuals and member states. To this end, we employ data from the International Social Survey Program 2013, by far the most extensive collection of survey questions on national identity, and the technique of latent class analysis. Our results show which specific configurations of national identity entail support, ambivalence or rejection of the European Union, their antecedents, and their variation across countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Julian Aichholzer & Sylvia Kritzinger & Carolina Plescia, 2021. "National identity profiles and support for the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 293-315, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:22:y:2021:i:2:p:293-315
    DOI: 10.1177/1465116520980068
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1465116520980068
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1465116520980068?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gilles Celeux & Gilda Soromenho, 1996. "An entropy criterion for assessing the number of clusters in a mixture model," Journal of Classification, Springer;The Classification Society, vol. 13(2), pages 195-212, September.
    2. Theresa Kuhn & Francesco Nicoli, 2020. "Collective Identities and the Integration of Core State Powers: Introduction to the Special Issue," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 3-20, January.
    3. Hooghe, Liesbet & Marks, Gary, 2009. "A Postfunctionalist Theory of European Integration: From Permissive Consensus to Constraining Dissensus," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 39(1), pages 1-23, January.
    4. Davidov, Eldad, 2009. "Measurement Equivalence of Nationalism and Constructive Patriotism in the ISSP: 34 Countries in a Comparative Perspective," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(1), pages 64-82, January.
    5. Steven A. Weldon, 2006. "The Institutional Context of Tolerance for Ethnic Minorities: A Comparative, Multilevel Analysis of Western Europe," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(2), pages 331-349, April.
    6. Mansfield, Edward D. & Mutz, Diana C., 2009. "Support for Free Trade: Self-Interest, Sociotropic Politics, and Out-Group Anxiety," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 63(3), pages 425-457, July.
    7. Nicholas Clark & Robert Rohrschneider, 2021. "Tracing the development of nationalist attitudes in the EU," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 181-201, June.
    8. Anderson, Christopher J. & Reichert, M. Shawn, 1995. "Economic Benefits and Support for Membership in the E.U.: A Cross-National Analysis," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(3), pages 231-249, September.
    9. Francesco Nicoli & Theresa Kuhn & Brian Burgoon, 2020. "Collective Identities, European Solidarity: Identification Patterns and Preferences for European Social Insurance," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 76-95, January.
    10. Eichenberg, Richard C. & Dalton, Russell J., 1993. "Europeans and the European Community: the dynamics of public support for European integration," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 47(4), pages 507-534, October.
    11. Matthijs Rooduijn & Bart Bonikowski & Jante Parlevliet, 2021. "Populist and nativist attitudes: Does ingroup-outgroup thinking spill over across domains?," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 248-265, June.
    12. K Amber Curtis & Steven V Miller, 2021. "A (supra)nationalist personality? The Big Five’s effects on political-territorial identification," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 202-226, June.
    13. Easton, David, 1975. "A Re-assessment of the Concept of Political Support," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(4), pages 435-457, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nicholas Clark & Robert Rohrschneider, 2021. "Tracing the development of nationalist attitudes in the EU," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 181-201, June.
    2. Andreas Giannakoulopoulos & Minas Pergantis & Laida Limniati & Alexandros Kouretsis, 2022. "Investigating the Country of Origin and the Role of the .eu TLD in External Trade of European Union Member States," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-27, June.
    3. K Amber Curtis & Steven V Miller, 2021. "A (supra)nationalist personality? The Big Five’s effects on political-territorial identification," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 202-226, June.
    4. Russell J Dalton, 2021. "National/European identities and political alignments," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 340-350, June.
    5. Florian Stoeckel & Vittorio Mérola & Jack Thompson & Benjamin Lyons & Jason Reifler, 2024. "Public perceptions and misperceptions of political authority in the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 25(1), pages 42-62, March.
    6. Wouter van der Brug & Eelco Harteveld, 2021. "The conditional effects of the refugee crisis on immigration attitudes and nationalism," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 227-247, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chase Foster & Jeffry Frieden, 2021. "Economic determinants of public support for European integration, 1995–2018," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 266-292, June.
    2. Nicholas Clark & Robert Rohrschneider, 2021. "Tracing the development of nationalist attitudes in the EU," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 181-201, June.
    3. Ann-Kathrin Reinl & Daniela Braun, 2023. "Who holds the union together? Citizens’ preferences for European Union cohesion in challenging times," European Union Politics, , vol. 24(2), pages 390-409, June.
    4. Monika Bauhr & Nicholas Charron, 2024. "Europe around the corner? How border proximity and quality of government explains European identity," European Union Politics, , vol. 25(2), pages 376-395, June.
    5. Russell J Dalton, 2021. "National/European identities and political alignments," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 340-350, June.
    6. Soetkin Verhaegen & Marc Hooghe & Ellen Quintelier, 2014. "European Identity and Support for European Integration: A Matter of Perceived Economic Benefits?," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(2), pages 295-314, May.
    7. Caroline Mcevoy, 2016. "The Role of Political Efficacy on Public Opinion in the European Union," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(5), pages 1159-1174, September.
    8. Dimiter Toshkov, 2011. "Public opinion and policy output in the European Union: A lost relationship," European Union Politics, , vol. 12(2), pages 169-191, June.
    9. K Amber Curtis & Steven V Miller, 2021. "A (supra)nationalist personality? The Big Five’s effects on political-territorial identification," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(2), pages 202-226, June.
    10. Armen Hakhverdian & Erika van Elsas & Wouter van der Brug & Theresa Kuhn, 2013. "Euroscepticism and education: A longitudinal study of 12 EU member states, 1973–2010," European Union Politics, , vol. 14(4), pages 522-541, December.
    11. Beaudonnet, Laurie and Danilo Di Mauro, 2012. "Support for Europe: Assessing the complexity of individual attitudes," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 16, February.
    12. Kiratli, Osman Sabri, 2015. "The role of identity in support for supranational integration in EU Foreign and Security Policies," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 19, February.
    13. Adam William Chalmers & Lisa Maria Dellmuth, 2015. "Fiscal redistribution and public support for European integration," European Union Politics, , vol. 16(3), pages 386-407, September.
    14. Sara B Hobolt & Sebastian Adrian Popa & Wouter Van der Brug & Hermann Schmitt, 2022. "The Brexit deterrent? How member state exit shapes public support for the European Union," European Union Politics, , vol. 23(1), pages 100-119, March.
    15. Roman Hlatky, 2023. "The politicization of European integration and support for restrictive migration policies," European Union Politics, , vol. 24(4), pages 684-707, December.
    16. Sara B. Hobolt & Wouter Van der Brug & Claes H. De Vreese & Hajo G. Boomgaarden & Malte C. Hinrichsen, 2011. "Religious intolerance and Euroscepticism," European Union Politics, , vol. 12(3), pages 359-379, September.
    17. Jørgen Bølstad, 2015. "Dynamics of European integration: Public opinion in the core and periphery," European Union Politics, , vol. 16(1), pages 23-44, March.
    18. Dominik Schraff & Ronja Sczepanski, 2022. "United or divided in diversity? The heterogeneous effects of ethnic diversity on European and national identities," European Union Politics, , vol. 23(2), pages 236-258, June.
    19. Hakhverdian, A. & Elsas, E. van & Brug, W. van der & Kuhn, T., 2013. "GINI DP 92: Euroscepticism and education: A longitudinal study of twelve EU member states, 1973-2010," GINI Discussion Papers 92, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    20. Arnold, Christine, Eliyahu V. Sapir and Galina Zapryanova, 2012. "Trust in the institutions of the European Union: A cross-country examination," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 16, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:eeupol:v:22:y:2021:i:2:p:293-315. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.