Public Perceptions of the European Power Hierarchy and Support for a Common Foreign and Security Policy

摘要: Prior research on citizen support for European integration has primarily focused individuals’ evaluations of the process or its institutions, with emphasis importance direct benefits and costs can confer. Explanations focus overall little work been done explaining public opinion specific policy areas, such as development Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP). also does not consider member states in models. This paper will fill this gap by formulating testing a political cohesion model, which be considered complementary to preexisting The analysis synthesizes systems theory social identity produce core claim that probability supporting CFSP increases greater levels trust Union member-states. cohesion, measured amount member-states, is assumed reflective positive perception. Positive perceptions member-states are critical because integration’s influenced strongly dependent upon resources relatively more powerful Therefore, top EU powers, namely Germany France, improve CFSP, so than trusting remaining members. results hold even when controlling demographic variables, values, ideology, democratic deficit. Binary logistic regression using pooled repeated cross-sectional data from Eurobarometer surveys conducted 1992 through 1997 among individuals 11 largely these claims.