Public misperceptions of European integration in the UK

We analyse public perceptions and misperceptions of European integration in the context of the Brexit referendum in the UK. Erroneous information about the EU was salient in the public domain before the referendum, but the prevalence of EU related misperceptions among voters has not yet been examine...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of elections, public opinion and parties Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 623 - 643
Main Authors Stoeckel, Florian, A. Lyons, Benjamin, Reifler, Jason
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 02.10.2023
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Accession
EU membership
European integration
Motivated reasoning
Perceptions
Political psychology
Public domain
Public opinion
Referendums
Voters
United Kingdom > UK
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Summary:We analyse public perceptions and misperceptions of European integration in the context of the Brexit referendum in the UK. Erroneous information about the EU was salient in the public domain before the referendum, but the prevalence of EU related misperceptions among voters has not yet been examined much. We use a population based survey that was conducted before the referendum to measure misperceptions in two domains: the role of the EU for the British economy and EU related costs. Hypotheses to explain misperceptions are derived from the public opinion literature and political psychology. Most voters hold misperceptions and this includes Euroskeptics as well as individuals who support the EU. Yet, misperceptions vary in systematic ways. Individuals with more education are less ill informed. In line with motivated reasoning, citizens' perceptions are also biased by their predispositions: while many voters hold misperceptions, the magnitude of misperceptions that portray the EU negatively is greater among Euroskeptics.
ISSN:1745-7289
1745-7297
DOI:10.1080/17457289.2021.1945612