Authors:	Steiner, Nils D. Landwehr, Claudia
Title:	Learning the Brexit lesson? : shifting support for direct democracy in Germany in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum
Online publication date:	27-Apr-2023
Year of first publication:	2022
Language:	english
Abstract:	The June 2016 Brexit referendum sent international shock waves, possibly causing adjustments in public opinion not only in the UK, but also abroad. We suggest that these adjustments went beyond substantive attitudes on European integration and included procedural preferences towards direct democracy. Drawing on the insight that support for direct democracy can be instrumentally motivated, we argue that the outcome of the Brexit referendum led (politically informed) individuals to update their support for referendums based on their views towards European integration. Using panel data from Germany, we find that those in favour of European integration, especially those with high political involvement, turned more sceptical of the introduction of referendums in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum. Our study contributes to the understanding of preferences for direct democracy and documents a remarkable case of how – seemingly basic – procedural preferences can, in today's internationalized information environment, be shaped by high-profile events abroad.
DDC:	320 Politik 320 Political science
Institution:	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department:	FB 02 Sozialwiss., Medien u. Sport
Place:	Mainz
ROR:	https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-8819
Version:	Published version
Publication type:	Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Document type specification:	Other
License:	CC BY
Information on rights of use:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal:	British Journal of Political Science Version of Record (VoR)
Publisher:	British Journal of Political Science
Publisher place:	Cambridge
Issue date:	2022
ISSN:	1469-2112
Publisher DOI:	10.1017/S0007123422000382
Appears in collections:	DFG-491381577-H