Comparative public opinion in Europe: A review of recent research

The article reviews recent research on comparative public opinion in Europe. The emphasis is put on empirical studies that utilize data from ongoing survey programmes like the Eurobarometers, the Values study, the International Social Survey Programme, and national elections surveys from various countries. We argue that students of public opinion would benefit from consulting books by Zaller, Sniderman and Stimson, which address basic problems of the understanding and measurement of attitudes and opinion. The contributions of these authors can be seen as a dialogue with the more than 30-year-old research programme of Converse. While it is not correct to say that the new books reverse the conclusions of Converse, they at least modify his view that mass opinion is characterized by instability and low consistency. For example, Stimson sees aggregate opinion to be relatively stable and to shift in meaningful ways. Ronald Inglehart's theory of postmaterialism has sought to identify long-term trends of attitude change in advanced nations. The hypotheses advocated by Inglehart, notably the shift from values of materialism to postmaterialism, describe a process of transnational development. Similarly, the work of Halman and associates advocate hypotheses that predict an increase in individualism, a fragmentation of value systems, and a convergence of values between countries. Moreover, they find empirical support only for the fragmentation hypothesis. The finding that values do not converge between nations, together with the finding by Inglehart that, despite the transnational processes of value change, large differences between countries are seen in several studies, both suggest that nationally anchored value systems are important. Empirical research has tried to confront conventional interpretations of national culture in the realms of democracy, attitudes toward foreigners, equality between the sexes, and preference for equality and the welfare state. This research has yielded mixed results. In some cases, notably in explaining American exceptionalism, support is found for the conventional view, while other studies, for example in explaining differences between European nations, have not supported widely held beliefs. The lack of value convergence in Europe could undermine the support fora deeper process of European integration. Finally, the shifts in attitudes toward the EU among the peoples of Western Europe and the outcomes of the referendums on membership in 1994 point to the impact of crucial external events and the influence of leadership and elites for attitude formation.