What to do about inequality? Public opinion support for the European Union and further European integration in the Republic of Ireland

Figures & data

Table 1. Co-variation of EU support variables.

	EU membership is good	EU enlargement is good	EU is in our interest
EU membership is good
EU enlargement is good	r = 0.2330 p ≤ 0.0000 N = 1001
EU is in our interest	r = 0.2237 p ≤ 0.0000 N = 1001	r = 0.1445 p ≤ 0.0000 N = 1001

Table 2. OLS multiple regression analysis: support for the EU in Ireland.

	OLS multiple regression model
	EU good or bad	EU enlargement good or bad	EU in Ireland’s interest
Inequality
Address inequality	−0.00948 (−0.70)	0.0712** (3.01)	0.0408* (2.05)
Communication
Social communication	−0.0189 (−0.74)	−0.0448 (−1.01)	−0.0202 (−0.54)
Mass media	0.00377 (0.29)	0.0631** (2.78)	0.0311 (1.62)
Interested in politics	0.0326 (1.57)	−0.0386 (−1.08)	0.0669* (2.22)
Identity
European identity	0.0824*** (3.56)	0.0832* (2.1)	0.154*** (4.55)
Cultural fear	−0.0253* (−2.14)	−0.0766*** (−3.73)	−0.0211 (−1.22)
Ideological congruence & institutional performance
Retrospective socioeconomic evaluation	−0.0299 (−1.52)	0.0184 (0.54)	0.0208 (0.73)
Prospective socioeconomic evaluation	0.0459*** (‘3.31)	0.0371 (1.54)	0.0267 (1.31)
Market preference	0.0175 (1.32)	−0.0323 (−1.40)	−0.00999 (−0.52)
Satisfaction with democracy	0.0560** (3.04)	0.106*** (3.33)	0.161*** (5.98)
Socio-demographic variables
Social class	0.0282 (3.04)	−0.0346 (3.33)	0.000127 (5.98)
Subjective standard of living	0.0173 (1.13)	−0.0185 (−0.69)	0.0148 (0.66)
Age	0.00216 (1.96)	0.000964 (0.50)	0.000425 (0.26)
Gender	0.0675* (2.01)	0.106 (1.82)	−0.034 (−0.69)
Left/right ideology	0.0124 (0.27)	0.0156 (0.19)	0.0308 (0.45)
Education: ISCED	0.0219 (1.75)	0.00749 (0.35)	−0.0245 (−1.35)
Constant	2.055*** (13.51)	1.636*** (6.22)	1.441*** (6.46)
Adj. R^2	0.0982	0.0614	0.0973
No. of observations	825	816	828

Note: t statistics in parentheses.

*p ≤ 0 .05; **p ≤ 0 .01; ***p ≤ 0 .001.

Figure 1. Eurobarometer responses for ‘effective action against the effects of the financial & economic crisis’.

Table

	Ordered logistic regression model
	EU good or bad	EU enlargement good or bad	EU in Ireland’s interest
Inequality
Address inequality	−0.066 (−0.413)	0.183** (9.113)	0.155** (6.167)
Communication
Social communication	0.007 −0.001	−0.040 (0.128)	0.039 (0.111)
Mass media	0.074 −0.0229	0.197* (4.643)	0.12 (1.618)
Interested in politics	0.239 (2.750)	−0.051 (−0.319)	0.174^† (3.421)
Identity
European identity	0.0483** (7.159)	0.181^† (3.127)	0.410*** (14.059)
Cultural fear	−0.286** (−9.997)	−0.171*** (−10.421)	−0.088 (−2.585)
Ideological congruence & institutional performance
Retrospective socioeconomic evaluation	−0.216 (2.515)	0.027 (0.093)	0.063 (0.472)
Prospective socioeconomic evaluation	0.313** (9.516)	0.116 (3.470)	0.125* (3.697)
Market preference	0.144 (2.478)	0.069 (1.309)	−0.013 (−0.044)
Satisfaction with democracy	0.223 (2.858)	0.305*** (13.387)	0.457*** (27.541)
Socio-demographic variables
Social class	0.17 (2.080)	−0.039 (−0.254)	0.01 (0.016)
Subjective standard of living	0.022 (0.044)	−0.078 (−1.309)	0.052 (0.555)
Age	0.227** (0.079)	0.014 (0.91)	0.032 (0.408)
Gender	−0.509* (−0.258)	−0.243 (−2.656)	0.032 (0.043)
Left/right ideology	−0.062 −0.119	−0.028 0.061	0.084 −0.502
Education: ISCED	0.152 (2.967)	0.034 (0.383)	−0.091 (−2.487)
Constant	7.81*** (13.915)	6.60*** (22.388)	5.39*** −3.4
Adj. R^2	0.204	0.089	0.118
No. of observations	752	744	755

Statistical significance: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; ^†p < 0.06.

t statistics in parentheses.