In recent years, several scholars have argued that the legitimacy of the European Union (EU) suffers from an alarming level of public apathy towards EU affairs. Such criticisms often assume that public opinion is largely ignorant of EU policy. However, we still have to empirically determine the extent to which Europeans understand the European Union or identify the conditions that lead the public to learn more about European politics. Given the greater relevance of national issues and the greater media attention devoted to national politics, most people have more knowledge about their national government than the European Union. The paper analyses the forms of creating political knowledge at national and European level to investigate the phenomena that influence electoral choices.
The EU Information Deficit: Political Knowledge and Electoral Choices
Gianluca Luise
2020
Abstract
In recent years, several scholars have argued that the legitimacy of the European Union (EU) suffers from an alarming level of public apathy towards EU affairs. Such criticisms often assume that public opinion is largely ignorant of EU policy. However, we still have to empirically determine the extent to which Europeans understand the European Union or identify the conditions that lead the public to learn more about European politics. Given the greater relevance of national issues and the greater media attention devoted to national politics, most people have more knowledge about their national government than the European Union. The paper analyses the forms of creating political knowledge at national and European level to investigate the phenomena that influence electoral choices.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
