European Election Studies

European Election Studies (EES) History and Purpose Approach and Study Design Funding and Main Publications EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 EES History • EES’s started in 1979 • trans-national group of electoral researchers and Europeanists • some of the old members left and others joined: the core group is still co-operating • 1979-2004: 6 studies prepared, 5 realised • new era began in 2004: central planning, decentralised execution EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 Purpose • determinants of participation and voting behaviour, but more than that: • evolution of an EU political community and public sphere • perceptions of and preferences about the EU political regime • evaluations of EU political performance EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 The Growing EU Geographical Space The Growing EU Policy Scope all policies determined 5 at EU level 4 3 2 all policies determined at national 1 1950 level 1957 1968 1992 2000 Legend: The trend indicates the avaerage policy competence of the EU over 28 policy areas drawn from the spheres of economic, foreign, legal and constitional, and social policy making. Individual rankings are based on expert judgements published in Hooghe and Marks 2001, pp. 187-9, with references to Lindberg and Scheingold 1970, pp. 67-71, and Schmitter 1996, pp. 125-6. EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 Approach • empirical-analytical • EU part of a multi-level system of governance rather than an entity sui generis • professionally: comparative politics rather than international relations EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 Study Design • each EES has a thematic focus • a EES usually involves more than “just” a voter study • additional instruments have been - some sort of elite survey and/or - content analysis of media news and/or - content analysis of party programmes EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 Funding • difficult each time, no regular home • growing number of nationally representative voter surveys particularly expensive • co-operative, modular funding • contribution of PIs home institutions increased over time EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 The 1979 Study (EES’79) • focus: electoral mobilsation (parties) • sub-projects: campaign study, candidate survey in 9 countries each, 63 party con-ference delegate surveys in 10 countries (9 +Spain), two waves of a voter study within EB 11 and 12, plus the EUIMEP survey of 1983 • funding: Volkswagen, European Commission, EP, ECF plus PIs home institutions • main pub: Ten European Elections EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 The 1989 Study (EES’89) • focus: electoral mobilisation (voters) • sub-projects: three consecutive voter studies in 12 countries each, 2 pre- and 1 post-electoral within EBs 30, 31, and 31a • funding: Consortium of European News Media (pre), ESRC (post), PIs home institutions • main pub: Choosing Europe. EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 The 1994 Study (EES’94) • focus: political representation • sub-projects: post-electoral voter studies in 12 countries within EB 41a, candidates survey in 12 countries, MEP survey in 1996, MNP surveys in 11 countries (DK is missing) • funding: German Research Foundation (voters and MEPs), Dutch Science Foundation (candidates), PIs home institutions • main pub: Political Representation and Legitimacy in the European Union EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 The 1999 Study (EES’99) • focus: political communication • sub-projects: post-election voter study in 15 countries (outside the EB structure), content analysis of TV News, content analysis of election manifestos of political parties (back to 1979) • funding: Dutch Science Foundation (media), German Research Foundation (Euromanifestos), UoA and other PIs home institutions (voters) • main pub: European Elections and Domestic Politics EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 The 2004 Study (EES’04) • focus: legitimacy of EU government after Eastern enlargement • sub-projects: voter study (24 countries) plus content analysis of national papers front-page news and content analysis of election manifestos of political parties (25 countries each) • funding: national sources plus, for co-ordination and communication, the 6th frame-work programme of the European Commission EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005 Data Dissemination • all EES data are available for secondary analysis • social science data-archives: ZA Cologne (prepares an integrated voter study data file, 1989-2004); Steinmetz Amsterdam; ICPSR Ann Arbor, Michigan • internet: www.ees-homepage.net EES Portrayal for the Data Confrontation Seminar in Nottingham, January 6-9, 2005