This essay argues that trust in institutions, in particular in European institutions, has been severely shaken due to the financial and economic crisis and therefore trust in national parliaments has been risen. To attain the objective, the essay intended to answer the subsequent queries:
(1) had the Eurozone crisis had an impact on the citizens’ trust in EU- and national Institutions and
(2) to what impact did the crisis have on the sense of belonging to a nation and not a Union - the feeling of acting as a single nation?
The present essay consists of different parts: The beginning is presenting an introduce to the Economic and Monetary Union of the EU by contributing some characteristics and, then defining the concept of political trust. Following to that, the Operationalization will be presented followed by the results and the conclusion.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Economic and Monotary Union of the European Union
3. Concept of trust
4. Operationalization
5. Results
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This essay aims to analyze the impact of the global financial and economic crisis of 2008/09 on the trust of European Union citizens in both national and European institutions, while also examining the subsequent effects on the sense of belonging and national identity among citizens.
- Evolution of public trust in the European Central Bank and European Union institutions.
- Comparative analysis of trust levels in national governments versus European institutions.
- The relationship between economic crises and shifts in perceived institutional competence.
- Evaluation of citizens' views on EU membership and the benefits of coordinated versus individual national actions.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
The European Union faced multiple crises in its history. Some call these crisis “existential crisis” (Giddens 2002: 24), others “legitimacy crisis” (Longo; Murray 2015: 2). Jean Monnet, one of the EU founding fathers, once said: „Europe will be forged in crises, and will be the sum of the solutions adopted for those crises” (1978: 417). But to what extend does the crisis affect Europe’s citizens’? To examine this question, this essay aims to present, based on the data from Eurobarometer, a timeline about the development of EU citizens’ trust in national governments, parliaments, the European Central Bank and the European Union in general before and after the financial crisis in 2008/2009. Scholars have analyzed the effects of the financial crisis on citizens’ trust in institutions and shown that the Eurozone crisis has had a negative effect on trust in European as well as in national institutions (Roth 2001: 9). Also Chase Foster and Jeffry Frieden highlight in their research the massively negative impact of the crisis upon citizens confidence in government (2017: 539). On the other hand, studies of the effects of changes and crisis in public trust in government have found out, that trust in national government rises in the direct aftermath of the crisis (see Chanley 2002).
This essay argues that trust in institutions, in particular in European institutions, has been severely shaken due to the financial and economic crisis and therefore trust in national parliaments has been risen. To attain the objective, the essay intended to answer the subsequent queries:
(1) had the Eurozone crisis had an impact on the citizens’ trust in EU- and national Institutions and
(2) to what impact did the crisis have on the sense of belonging to a nation and not a Union - the feeling of acting as a single nation?
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the historical context of EU crises and outlines the research objective, which focuses on the development of citizen trust in institutions during the 2008/2009 financial crisis.
2. The Economic and Monotary Union of the European Union: This chapter provides an overview of the EU’s formation, its core goals, and the development of the Economic and Monetary Union as a project of pooled sovereignty.
3. Concept of trust: This section defines political trust and explores its role as a fundamental requirement for the functioning of democratic systems and supranational integration.
4. Operationalization: This chapter details the methodology by describing the use of Eurobarometer survey data to measure trust levels and citizens' perceptions of institutional competence.
5. Results: This chapter presents the empirical findings regarding trust trends, showcasing how the financial crisis influenced public perception of the ECB, the EU, and national institutions.
6. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the research, confirming that the financial crisis had a negative impact on trust in EU institutions while observing a temporary rise in trust for national institutions.
Keywords
European Union, Financial Crisis, Economic Crisis, Political Trust, Eurobarometer, National Governments, European Central Bank, Institutional Trust, Eurozone, Sovereignty, Public Opinion, Integration, Economic Policy, Democratic Legitimacy, Social Solidarity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines the impact of the 2008/2009 global financial and economic crisis on the level of trust that citizens of the European Union have in both their national governments and European institutions.
Which thematic areas are central to this study?
The central themes include political trust, the influence of economic crises on institutional legitimacy, the evolution of European integration, and the dynamics of national versus supranational belonging.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The primary objective is to track the timeline of public trust development and answer whether the Eurozone crisis negatively impacted confidence in EU institutions and how it affected national identity.
Which methodology is applied in this research?
The study utilizes quantitative data from Eurobarometer surveys conducted between 2001 and 2010 to visualize net trust trends and analyze public opinion regarding crisis management.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical concept of political trust, the characteristics of the European Economic and Monetary Union, and the empirical analysis of survey results regarding institutional performance.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include European Union, political trust, financial crisis, economic policy, Eurobarometer, and institutional legitimacy.
Did the crisis lead to a permanent loss of trust in the European Union?
The findings suggest that while trust in the EU fell to low levels during the crisis, it showed signs of recovery later, though the crisis is generally associated with a lasting image loss for the institution.
How did trust in national institutions react immediately after the crisis?
In contrast to European institutions, trust in national governments and parliaments experienced a short-term rise immediately following the crisis, as citizens turned toward familiar national structures.
How did respondents feel about the EU's competence compared to national governments?
Survey data indicated that a majority of respondents considered the European Union to be a more capable actor in dealing with the crisis than national governments.
Was there a consensus regarding the benefit of EU membership?
Yes, the data shows that respondents consistently agreed that membership in the European Union provided a benefit to their respective countries, despite the fluctuations in institutional trust.
- Citar trabajo
- Anonym (Autor), 2017, The impacts of the financial crisis on citizens trust in institutions, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/496704
