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public opinion

February 25, 2022

The public wants the government to protect them from themselves – sometimes

Clareta Treger In a study of public attitudes towards government paternalism, Clareta Treger finds that, when it comes to their own safety and health, individuals prefer coercive government policies over nudges that steer them towards welfare-enhancing behaviour. This should be taken into consideration when devising strategies to mitigate COVID-19 and future crises. Read more

February 15, 2022

To understand the politics of taxation, we must understand how the public thinks the economy works

Lucy Barnes The way people think the economy works shapes public opinion towards progressive taxation. But the 'tax the rich' crowd don't neglect economic efficiency, observes Lucy Barnes The politics of progressive taxation presents a paradox. Polling on whether taxes on the rich should be increased returns supermajorities in favour, yet the recent direction of travel has […] Read more

February 14, 2022

What drives public acceptance of expert agencies?

Trym Nohr Fjørtoft Have we had enough of experts? Covid-19 revealed how expertise doesn't necessarily translate into public acceptance of the right to make decisions in the public interest. Trym Nohr Fjørtoft and Asimina Michailidou explore the conditions under which expert agencies secure public legitimacy. Their conclusion? It's about striking the right balance Read more

January 13, 2022

The EU narrative around trade with Vietnam

Camille Nessel EU trade policy is widely contested by the public. Their concern: the danger of prioritising neoliberal economic interests over citizens' human rights. Yet, write Camille Nessel and Elke Verhaeghe, the EU was able to avoid mass protest by creating an ethical narrative around its trade negotiations with authoritarian Vietnam Read more

January 6, 2022

Public attitudes to coronavirus in highly polarised Hungary

Balázs Böcskei Balázs Böcskei and Eszter Farkas analyse the influence of partisan alignment on public health issues related to coronavirus. Their findings suggest that even in such a highly polarised country as Hungary, the significance of the pandemic over time is suppressing the influence of party alignment on Covid-related issues Read more

November 4, 2021

Improvement in Iranian-European relations is possible – and the EU should play its part

Mahmoud Javadi Relations between Iran and Europe are in a pretty poor state. But Mahmoud Javadi argues that there are avenues for improvement through identification of 'shared interests' – and the EU can, and should, play its part Read more

September 29, 2021

The secret of Angela Merkel's extraordinary success: her understanding of the distinctive features of German politics

Femke van Esch After sixteen years at the helm, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is leaving office. While political observers often predicted her demise, at the end of her fourth term Merkel is at the height of her popularity. Using the Leadership Capital Index, Femke van Esch explains why Read more

September 27, 2021

Sport and politics do mix, but match results don’t swing elections

Stefan Müller Several studies have suggested that 'irrelevant events' outside politicians’ control, like sports results or lotteries, affect voting behaviour. Such findings raise worrying questions for democracy. Yet, write Stefan Müller and Liam Kneafsey, these concerns may be overstated. In Ireland, a country with a strong sporting tradition, match outcomes do not influence citizens’ assessments of government performance, or voting behaviour Read more

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