Elucidating EU Engagement: Rethinking Dimensions of Supranational Participation

Clark, Nicholas and Curtis, K. Amber (2015) Elucidating EU Engagement: Rethinking Dimensions of Supranational Participation. [Conference Proceedings] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Some observers of the EU have expressed concern about the quality of its democratic governance. Such sentiments are reflected in much of the research conducted on attitudes toward the EU and voting in European Parliament elections, both of which seek to assess the vibrancy of public engagement with the European project. Yet few—if any—have considered other types of behavior that may be associated with an active EU citizenry. This paper uses original survey data from the United Kingdom to complement existing research by identifying a fuller picture of the types and frequency of EU participation. We also assess the extent to which predictors from existing public opinion literature (identity threat, economic concerns, political attitudes and sociodemographics) predict these various types of participation. Results suggest that citizens pursue a wide array of participation avenues and that different sets of motivations underpin these different types of EU engagement.

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