UNDERSTANDING VARIATION IN PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Much of the research on the European Community focuses on elites and i nstitutions and as a result downplays the importance of the mass publi c in determining the direction of European integration. A common justi fication for this viewpoint is that members of the public provide a st able reservoir of strong support for European integration. Recent poli tical events, however, raise doubts about this depiction of a 'passive public'. Consequently, there is a need for a fuller understanding of European attitudes. We specify a number of hypotheses dealing with the effects of international trade interests, security concerns, and demo graphic characteristics on cross-national and cross-sectional variatio ns in public support for European integration. Using Eurobarometer sur veys and OECD data on EC trade from 1973-1989, we investigate these hy potheses in a pooled cross-sectional model. Our statistical results re veal that an individual's level of support is positively related to he r nation's security and trade interests in EC membership and her perso nal potential to benefit from liberalized markers for goods, labour; a nd money.