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A rising generation of E uropeans? Life‐cycle and cohort effects on support for ‘ E urope’
Author(s) -
Down Ian,
Wilson Carole J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6765.12001
Subject(s) - extant taxon , cohort , cohort effect , formative assessment , psychology , demographic economics , demography , economics , sociology , medicine , biology , pedagogy , evolutionary biology
Despite much research on age and attitudes, it remains unclear whether age reflects accumulated life experience or conditions prevailing during an individual's formative years – that is, a life‐cycle effect or a cohort effect. In respect to attitudes towards the E uropean U nion ( EU ), the issue is particularly important. Although many analyses indicate a correlation between age and support, the relationship has not been adequately theorised and extant analyses have generated contradictory results. In this article, theoretical expectations for both life‐cycle and cohort effects on support for the EU are developed and tested using a cross random effects model. This not only identifies the nature of an age‐support relationship, but also highlights substantial generational differences in attitudes towards E uropean integration and explains the inconsistencies in extant empirical analyses.