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Economic Benefits and Support for Membership in the E.U.: A Cross-National Analysis*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2009

Christopher J. Anderson  and
M. Shawn Reichert
Christopher J. Anderson
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Rice University, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251, USA
M. Shawn Reichert
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Rice University, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251, USA
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Abstract

How can differences in public support for membership in the European Union across the twelve EU member states and among its citizens be explained? Using Eurobarometer polls for 1982, 1986, and 1990, the paper examines how direct and indirect economic benefits associated with EU membership affect support for integration. We find that individuals living in countries that benefit more from EU membership display higher levels of support for their country's participation in the EU. Moreover, the results indicate that those individuals who benefit personally are also more supportive of the integration project. The paper also spells out some of the possible ramifications of these results.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Public Policy , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , September 1995 , pp. 231 - 249
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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