Papers by Constantin Schäfer
European Union Politics, Sep 6, 2021
In light of the unexpectedly high turnout in the 2019 European Parliament election, we explore ho... more In light of the unexpectedly high turnout in the 2019 European Parliament election, we explore how major transnational policy issues mobilize voters in European electoral contests. Based on the analysis of two data sets, the Eurobarometer post-election survey and the RECONNECT panel survey, we make three important observations. First, European citizens show a higher tendency to participate in European Parliament elections when they attribute greater importance to the issues 'climate change and environment', 'economy and growth', and 'immigration'. Second, having a more extreme opinion on the issue of 'European integration' increases people's likelihood to vote in European elections. Third, the mobilizing effect of personal issue importance is enhanced by the systemic salience that the respective policy issue has during the election campaign. These findings show the relevance of issue mobilization in European Parliament elections as well as its context-dependent nature.
What kind of EU do citizens want? Reform preferences and the conflict over Europe
Journal of European Public Policy, Jul 21, 2022
No participation without representation
Journal of European Public Policy, Aug 17, 2017
ABSTRACT How does the degree to which European citizens see themselves represented by political p... more ABSTRACT How does the degree to which European citizens see themselves represented by political parties relate to their willingness to participate in an election? We argue that the closer citizens are to the parties running in an election in terms of the socio-economic left-right conflict and the European integration policy dimension, the more likely they participate in elections to the European Parliament. The analysis, which is based on the 2009 and 2014 European Election Studies datasets, indicates that the ideological left-right distance between citizens and parties mattered for participation in both EP elections under study. Moreover, the European integration dimension has become relevant for citizens’ turnout decision over the course of the European economic and sovereign debt crisis, but only in countries that are part of the Eurozone. These findings have implications for the nature of European elections and representative democracy on the European level, and indicate that missing policy responsiveness can lead to lower voter turnout.
Euroscepticism in Times of Crisis: A Macro-Level Analysis of the Euro Crisis’ Effects on Public Opinion and Party Competition on European Integration
Springer eBooks, Oct 24, 2019
In this chapter, we investigate how Euroscepticism in the public opinion and party systems of EU ... more In this chapter, we investigate how Euroscepticism in the public opinion and party systems of EU member states has developed since the 1990s. In particular, we analyse to what extent the Euro crisis has affected specific support for the EU regime and diffuse support for the process of European integration, as well as the party systems’ positions on European integration. Our empirical macro-level analysis relates economic indicators to voter survey data (European Election Studies) and election manifestos of political parties (Euromanifestos). The findings imply that the economic and sovereign debt crisis in Europe has led to a strong rise in output-related Euroscepticism in the most affected countries, but that it barely led to a strong opposition to the European unification process. Moreover, party systems have only partly adapted to popular Euroscepticism during the Euro crisis.
Book Review: Europe: Integrating Indifference: A Comparative, Qualitative and Quantitative Approach to the Legitimacy of European Integration
Political Studies Review, Oct 9, 2015
ABSTRACT
Attitudes towards European integration and behavior in European Parliament elections
Does Europe matter? This paper-based dissertation investigates to what extent “European factors” ... more Does Europe matter? This paper-based dissertation investigates to what extent “European factors” matter for citizens during European Parliament (EP) elections. In three original research articles, I analyze the electoral impact of individual attitudes towards the European Union (EU) and the European integration process, political representation on the EU integration policy dimension and the politicization of EU issues across different member states. The empirical analyses are based on the voter surveys of the European Election Studies, but also integrate party-level data, such as the Euromanifesto Study. The results demonstrate the continuing relevance of the “second-order election” research framework for individual-level electoral behavior, but also illustrate various ways in which “Europe matters” for citizens’ participation and vote choice in European elections. I show that EP election behavior is significantly shaped by trust in European institutions, by ideological and policy-specific voter-party congruence and by the degree to which European integration is politicized by political elites. These findings have important implications for our understanding of present-day European Parliament elections and the democratic legitimacy of the European Union.
Turnout in European Parliament (EP) elections once again decreased in 2014. This observation seem... more Turnout in European Parliament (EP) elections once again decreased in 2014. This observation seems worrying for many scholars and practitioners regarding the EU's democratic legitimacy. However, by analysing the characteristics and motivations of European non-voters using EU-wide post-electoral survey data, Constantin Schäfer argues that a higher turnout in European elections might not necessarily lead to more political stability in the EU.
Politics, Jan 9, 2021
Despite the stark voter turnout increase in 2019, the participation level in European Parliament ... more Despite the stark voter turnout increase in 2019, the participation level in European Parliament elections is still considerably lower than in national elections. How can we explain this persistent 'Euro gap'? This article analyzes the motivations of citizens who participate in national but not in European electoral contests, so-called 'EU-only abstainers'. The empirical analysis based on the EES 2019 voter study reveals that EU-only abstention is driven by low levels of general political interest and EU-specific political sophistication, as well as by distrust towards EU institutions. Therefore, the Euro gap results from the widespread perception that there is 'less at stake' during EP elections, but it is also an aggregate-level consequence of individual Eurosceptic attitudes. These findings have important implications for our understanding of present-day European elections and the debate between the two most common theoretical approaches in EP election research.
What ‘Moves’ Party Systems in Times of Crisis?
Politische Vierteljahresschrift, 2020
The Euro crisis has considerably altered party competition across Europe. By adopting a party-sys... more The Euro crisis has considerably altered party competition across Europe. By adopting a party-system perspective this contribution analyses to what extent the Euro crisis has ‘moved’ party systems to more Eurosceptic positions and whether it has affected the systemic salience of the European integration issue. We argue that worsening economic conditions have directly affected party competition on European integration, but that party systems have additionally adapted to a more Eurosceptic public opinion in many EU member states. Connecting national parties’ election manifestos for European Parliament elections to survey data and macro-economic indicators, our empirical analysis shows that changes in party competition on European integration in EU member states between 2009 and 2014 can be explained by both factors. In the economically most affected countries, party systems have become more Eurosceptic—both as a direct reaction to economic hardship and as an indirect response to an increased public dissatisfaction with the regime of the EU. Moreover, an increase in the systemic salience of the European integration issue has occurred mainly in creditor countries, where the public has become more Eurosceptic regarding the idea and the continuing process of European unification.
When are governmental blaming strategies effective? How blame, source and trust effects shape citizens’ acceptance of EU sanctions against democratic backsliding
Journal of European Public Policy, Jul 21, 2022
Euroskeptizismus und Wahlenthaltung
Zeitschrift für vergleichende Politikwissenschaft, Feb 24, 2017
ZusammenfassungInwiefern kann eine Stimmenthaltung bei Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament als euro... more ZusammenfassungInwiefern kann eine Stimmenthaltung bei Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament als euroskeptische Verhaltensweise interpretiert werden? Im vorliegenden Artikel wird diese Frage auf Basis der Nachwahlbefragung der European Election Studies 2014 empirisch untersucht. Hierzu werden verschiedene Subdimensionen von politischer Unterstützung der EU sowie unterschiedliche Nichtwählertypen herangezogen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass neben traditionellen Determinanten der Nichtwahl vor allem fehlendes Vertrauen in die politischen Institutionen der EU dazu führt, dass Bürger sich in Europawahlen enthalten. Andere Einstellungen zur EU haben demgegenüber deutlich weniger Erklärungskraft für die individuelle Wahlbeteiligung. Zudem wird dargestellt, dass die Partizipationslücke zwischen Wahlen auf nationaler und europäischer Ebene, die sogenannte Euro Gap, eine Folge euroskeptischer Einstellungen ist. An nationalen Wahlen teilzunehmen, sich aber in EP-Wahlen zu enthalten, ist offenbar ein geeignetes Mittel für Bürger, um ihrer Unzufriedenheit mit der EU und deren Institutionen Ausdruck zu verleihen.AbstractTo what extent can we understand abstention from voting in European Parliament elections as Eurosceptic behavior? This article answers the question empirically, drawing upon data gathered by the European Election Studies 2014 post-election survey. Several sub-dimensions of political support for the EU as well as different types of non-voters are analyzed. The findings indicate that – in addition to traditional determinants of electoral participation – a lack of trust in the political institutions of the EU is a major factor explaining non-voting in European elections. Other attitudes towards the EU show much less explanatory power for the individual turnout decision. Finally, the article shows that the difference in participation between elections at the national and the European level – commonly called the Euro Gap – is a consequence of Eurosceptic attitudes. Thus it can be assumed that many citizens perceive voting in national elections while abstaining from European elections as an appropriate means through which to express their dissatisfaction with the EU and its institutions.
Anti-pluralist reactions to an anti-pluralist party
Routledge eBooks, Dec 12, 2022
Mit der Demokratie versöhnt?
Rechtspopulismus in Deutschland, 2022
What kind of EU do citizens want? Reform preferences and the conflict over Europe
Journal of European Public Policy
When are governmental blaming strategies effective? How blame, source and trust effects shape citizens’ acceptance of EU sanctions against democratic backsliding
Journal of European Public Policy
European identity in times of crisis
In this paper, we aim at showing (1) how the Euro crisis has affected citizens' attachment to... more In this paper, we aim at showing (1) how the Euro crisis has affected citizens' attachment to the European Union and if there are differences between memberstates that are differently affected by the crisis. We expect that identification with European did decrease during the crisis, however, most noticeable in crisis states such as Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain, and Cyprus. Moreover, we turn to the individual level in order to show (2) if the determinants of European identity have changed with the crisis and if utilitarian factors gained in significance compared to institutional factors. We expect that - since politics in Europe and the EU were almost exclusively limited to economic topics and since the EU was seen as part of the problem – utilitarian factors should play a bigger role after than before the crisis in explaining European identity. In a third step, we try to look at the structure of the explanatory factors and aim at showing (3) how utilitarian and instit...
Euroscepticism in Times of Crisis: A Macro-Level Analysis of the Euro Crisis’ Effects on Public Opinion and Party Competition on European Integration
Anti-Europeanism, 2019
In this chapter, we investigate how Euroscepticism in the public opinion and party systems of EU ... more In this chapter, we investigate how Euroscepticism in the public opinion and party systems of EU member states has developed since the 1990s. In particular, we analyse to what extent the Euro crisis has affected specific support for the EU regime and diffuse support for the process of European integration, as well as the party systems’ positions on European integration. Our empirical macro-level analysis relates economic indicators to voter survey data (European Election Studies) and election manifestos of political parties (Euromanifestos). The findings imply that the economic and sovereign debt crisis in Europe has led to a strong rise in output-related Euroscepticism in the most affected countries, but that it barely led to a strong opposition to the European unification process. Moreover, party systems have only partly adapted to popular Euroscepticism during the Euro crisis.
sj-docx-1-eup-10.1177_14651165211040337 - Supplemental material for Issues that mobilize Europe. The role of key policy issues for voter turnout in the 2019 European Parliament election
Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-eup-10.1177_14651165211040337 for Issues that mobilize Europe. T... more Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-eup-10.1177_14651165211040337 for Issues that mobilize Europe. The role of key policy issues for voter turnout in the 2019 European Parliament election by Daniela Braun and Constantin Schäfer in European Union Politics
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Papers by Constantin Schäfer