Critical issues and political alienation in Denmark

Indicators of political alienation - distrust in politicians and dissatisfa ction with democracy in the Danish electorate are associated with specific issue positions, economic grievances, and voting for parties with little in fluence on government policies. Of critical importance are issues in which cosmopolitan values in the political elite confront various kinds of nation alist or isolationist Values in the mass public. Thus, during the 1970s and 1980s, distrust and dissatisfaction with democracy were concentrated among NATO and EU opponents on the left. From 1990 on, the emergent issues of re fugees and immigration have generated a new basis of alienation on the righ t, especially after the change from Conservative to Social Democratic gover nment leadership in 1993. Policy distance from the government on EU and on immigration policies constitutes the two major components of political alie nation in the 1990s.