"European Integration, Public Opinion and Immigration Policy: Testing the Impact of National Identity"

Luedtke, Adam. (2003) "European Integration, Public Opinion and Immigration Policy: Testing the Impact of National Identity". In: UNSPECIFIED, Nashville, Tennessee. (Unpublished)

Preview

PDF Download (2609Kb) | Preview

Abstract

This paper empirically tests the theory that national identity causes opposition to EU control over immigration policy. The EU has been gaining more control over immigration policy in recent years, but this has been a controversial, uneven, and politically sensitive process as many member states are reluctant to cede control over this area of policy. What accounts for member state opposition to EU control over immigration? This paper argues that public opinion in the member states is important in explaining such oppostion and proposes a theory of national identity to explain this public opinion, arguing that those who identify with their nation-states (vis-à-vis Europe) are less likely to support EU control over immigration policy that those who identify, at least partially, with "Europe". This tendency is shown to be stronger than calculated support for or against European integration. Other competing hypotheses are also tested, including economic cost/benefit calculation, country of residence, social class, political ideology, and a range of social characteristics and political beliefs. The empirical test operationalizes and measures the variables using Eurobarometer survey data and employs a logistic regression model to test the hypotheses for an EU-wide sample and 15 individual country samples.

Actions (login required)