Conceptualizing and measuring European citizenship and engagement

Abstract

This chapter presents our dependent variables. It discusses the ways in which the various dimensions of European citizenship and of engagement have been theorised and measured. Citizenship is mapped onto the three theoretical dimensions of citizenship (identity, representation and scope of government), thus showing that citizens’ attitudes are clearly structured along these dimensions. The descriptive picture of European citizenship that emerges is one of a nuanced balance, in which medium levels of European identification are associated with mixed evaluations of the policy responsiveness of EU institutions and of EU policy competence. The final part of the chapter discusses our two measures of European engagement: overall support for the EU itself and people’s preparedness to participate in elections to the European Parliament.