University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

The public sphere and debates about Europe in Britain: internalized and conflict driven?

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 14:53 authored by Paul StathamPaul Statham, Emily Gray
This article undertakes an analysis of British public debates on European integration by recourse to an original data set on political claims-making. The public sphere is conceptualized as a space where citizens interact through their acts of public communication. Such public communications are an important source of the Europe-building process, because they potentially provide public inputs to the elite-led processes of European political institutional integration. Our empirical findings show that British public debates are internalized within the nation-state rather than creating links to supra- or transnational European polities. In addition, we find relatively low levels of civil society engagement compared to that of political elites, and a high level of political competition between the two major political parties, Labour and Conservative. Overall, we argue that elite ambivalence to Britain’s position within the European Union has created this climate of uncertainty and political competition over Europe.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research

ISSN

1351-1610

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Issue

1

Volume

18

Page range

61-81

Department affiliated with

  • Geography Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2013-05-03

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2013-05-03

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC