Eastward enlargement of the European Union and the identity of Europe

The constitution of a European demos with a collective identity is one of the preconditions for adjusting the legitimacy problem of the European Union (EU). The analysis attempts to clarify empirically whether there is sufficient commonality regarding Europeans' political value orientations to substantiate a collective identity. Particularly in view of the European Union's eastward enlargement, the question arises whether widespread cultural heterogeneity in Europe allows the formation of a European demos at all. In Europe we can identify a West-East axis of political value orientations. Democratic attitudes decrease the further to the East while at the same time there is an increase in etatist orientations. Thresholds can be observed which distinguish western European countries on the one hand and central and eastern European countries on the other. Within the group of central and eastern Europe a further distinction can be made between the three Slavic republics of the former Soviet Union and the rest of the countries. These findings support Huntington's theory of civilizations. -- Die Herausbildung eines europäischen Demos mit einer kollektiven Identität ist eine der Voraussetzungen zur Behebung des Legitimitätsproblems der Europäischen Union (EU). In der Analyse wird empirisch zu klären versucht, ob es hinreichende Gemeinsamkeiten in den politischen Wertorientierungen der Europäer gibt, die eine kollektive Identität begründen können. Vor allem angesichts der Osterweiterung der EU stellt sich die Frage, ob die kulturelle Heterogenität in Europa nicht zu groß ist, um einen Europäischen Demos zu ermöglichen. Hinsichtlich der politischen Wertorientierungen der Bürger in den europäischen Ländern lässt sich eine West-Ost-Achse identifizieren. Das Ausmaß demokratischer Einstellungen nimmt nach Osten hin ab, und zugleich nimmt das Ausmaß etatistischer Orientierungen zu. Relative Schwellenwerte innerhalb dieser Achse lassen sich zwischen Westeuropa einerseits und Mittel- und Osteuropa andererseits feststellen und innerhalb Mittel- und Osteuropas zu den slawischen Nachfolgestaaten der Sowjetunion. Diese Befunde entsprechen teilweise der Theorie der Zivilisationskreise von Huntington.

Democracy and its discontents in post-wall Germany

This paper traces the political behavior intentions of satisfied democrats, dissatisfied democrats, and non-democrats in western and eastern Germany. Dissatisfaction is most commonly expressed in support for the loyal opposition, with some minor tilt toward parties of the ends of the spectrum. Non-democrats, a very small percentage of the populace, more commonly express their disapproval through withdrawal rather than through active extremism. Based on a 1997 general population survey, the analysis reveals some differences in the magnitude of western versus eastern conceptions of the elements that make up democracy. But most of those differences get channeled into seemingly benign forms of political participation. The core of the findings is that dissatisfaction with democracy may well be a healthy stimulant rather than a threat to the vitality of either established or emerging democracies. -- Die hier vorgelegte Untersuchung analysiert politische Einstellungen und Verhaltensabsichten von zufriedenen Demokraten, unzufriedenen Demokraten und Nicht-Demokraten in Ost- und Westdeutschland. Unzufriedenheit mit der Politik führt in der Regel zu einer verstärkten Unterstützung demokratischer Oppositionsparteien, unter bestimmten Bedingungen aber auch zur Wahl extremer Oppositionsparteien. Die Untersuchung ergibt, dass Nicht-Demokraten, die in Ost- und Westdeutschland allerdings nur einen sehr geringen Prozentsatz ausmachen, ihre Unzufriedenheit weniger durch die Wahl einer extremen Partei, als durch einen Rückzug aus der Politik ausdrücken. Die Daten der repräsentativen Bevölkerungsumfrage zeigen in einigen Aspekten Unterschiede in bestimmten Wertorientierungen und im Demokratieverständnis der Ost- und der Westdeutschen. Daraus ergeben sich allerdings keine gravierenden Konsequenzen für den demokratischen Prozess. In beiden Teilen Deutschlands führen politische Unzufriedenheiten in aller Regel zur Wahl demokratischer Oppositionsparteien. Unzufriedenheit mit der Performanz des demokratischen Systems in Deutschland kann deshalb eher als Stimulus und weniger als Bedrohung der Demokratie interpretiert werden.

Remembering the bad old days: Human rights, economic conditions, and democratic performance in transitional regimes

Using the natural laboratory of 18 post-communist Central and Eastern European countries, this article presents a basic model for democratic transition, specifically testing two alternative explanations for the degree of citizen satisfaction with the performance of their fledgling democracies: 1) virtues of omission, which include bad actions from which the state refrains, namely violations of individual human rights, and 2) virtues of commission, which include positive state actions, in particular actions enhancing economic well-being. The findings clearly indicate that, during the transition period, citizens' sense of the condition of human rights is consistently more important than are perceived economic prospects as predictors of democratic performance. -- In der Untersuchung werden zwei alternative Hypothesen getestet, die den Grad der Zufriedenheit der Bürger mit der Performanz der Demokratie in 18 post-kommunistischen Ländern erklären sollen. Die eine Hypothese betont die Wichtigkeit der Garantie der individuellen Menschenrechte, die andere die Wichtigkeit der Verbesserung der ökonomischen Situation. In dem einen Fall soll sich der Staat menschenrechtsverletzender Handlungen enthalten (virtues of ommission), in dem anderen Fall soll er zur Hebung des wirtschaftlichen Wohlstands politisch eingreifen (virtues of commission). Der Befund zeigt, daß in der Übergangsperiode vom post-kommunistischen zum demokratischen Regime den Bürgern der Zustand der Menschenrechte für das Urteil über die Leistungsfähigkeit der Demokratie im eigenen Lande relativ wichtiger ist als die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung.

Human development as a general theory of social change: A multi-level and cross-cultural perspective

This paper demonstrates that socioeconomic development, cultural modernization, and democratic regime performance constitute a coherent syndrome of social change'a syndrome whose common focus has not properly been specified by standard modernization theory. We specify this syndrome as Human Development, arguing that its three components have a common focus on individual choice. Socioeconomic development broadens individual choice by giving people more resources; cultural modernization gives rise to aspirations that lead people to seek for individual choice; and democracy extends individual choice by codifying legal opportunities. Analysis of data from 80 societies demonstrates: (1) that a universal resource-aspiration-opportunity syndrome is present at the individual, national and supra-national levels across 80 nations and 8 cultural zones; (2) that this Human Development syndrome is endogenously shaped by a causal effect from resources and aspirations on opportunities; and (3) that elite integrity or good governance is a strong exogenous determinant of the Human Development syndrome as a whole. -- Das vorliegende Papier zeigt, dass sozio-ökonomische Entwicklung, kulturelle Modernisierung und demokratische Regimeperformanz ein kohärentes Syndrom sozialen Wandels bilden - ein Syndrom, dessen integrierender Kern von der klassischen Modernisierungstheorie nicht hinreichend spezifiziert wurde. Wir spezifizieren diesen Kern mit dem Konzept der Humanentwicklung. Wir argumentieren, dass die drei Komponenten der Humanentwicklung dahingehend zusammenwirken, dass sie die individuelle Optionsvielfalt steigern. Sozio-ökonomische Entwicklung erweitert Optionen, indem sie den Individuen mehr Ressourcen verleiht; kulturelle Modernisierung mobilisiert Ansprüche, die die Individuen nach Optionsvielfalt streben lassen; und Demokratie sichert Optionen durch rechtliche Garantien. Eine Analyse der Weltwertestudien zeigt, dass es (1) einen universellen Nexus aus Ressourcen, Ansprüchen und Garantien gibt, der sich auf der individuellen, nationalen und supra-nationalen Ebene über 80 Gesellschaften und 8 Kulturzonen nachweisen lässt; (2) dass die endogene Genese dieses Syndroms der Humanentwicklung durch kausale Effekte von Ressourcen und Ansprüchen auf Garantien zustande kommt; und (3) dass regelkonformes Elitenverhalten eine exogene Determinante dieses Syndroms insgesamt ist.

Cemeteries in transformation: a Swiss community conflict study

For the first time, this study presents a natural experiment describing and explaining selected stakeholders’ attitudes toward the transformation of cemeteries into urban green spaces. In 2020, a real-life community conflict unfolded in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, over plans to close the smallest of its three municipal cemeteries by 2023. This study analyzes a representative sample (N = 519) of the city’s adult population and that of the adjacent town, Ostermundigen, capturing the views of residents of the conflict district and contrasting them with those of people living outside the district. It also compares attitudes of cemetery visitors and non-visitors. Survey interviews were conducted via telephone and through an online panel. The study focuses on conflicts triggered by alternative land-use plans, highlighting the need to include groups that are both familiar and unfamiliar with cemeteries. Interestingly, the latter group proved to be more open to change. The local meaning of cemeteries and municipal green urban-space policies are crucial context parameters, as demonstrated by the strong opposition to cemetery transformation in affected areas. The underlying beliefs of opponents and proponents are explored qualitatively and found to be complex and multidimensional. Individual attitude predictors include age and personal emotional attributes. Finally, factor analysis is used to develop a typology of users. The four emerging user types are linked to different perceptions of “the nature of cemeteries” and attitudes toward innovative plans (e.g., whether to create burial spaces for pets or a restaurant within the cemetery grounds, both of which received significant support). The findings inform policy decisions related to urban green-space management while balancing the interests of various groups. User perspectives should be reconciled by focusing on “dialogues of values” and participatory approaches, which complement information-centered municipal policies

Successes and failures in treatment of substance abuse: Treatment system perspectives and lessons from the European continent

OBJECTIVE: The article offers an inventory of controversial basic issues related to treatment responses and their sociocultural political context, highlighting policy failures and successes, with a focus on Europe. As a reference point for this assessment, serves a conceptual framework of an “ideal type of treatment system”, which is built upon the following normative assumptions: the objective of harm minimisation or preventing substance-use-related consequences, evidence-based decision making, securing equity and accessibility also from a user perspective as well as efficiency in terms of the diversity and choice of treatment options. METHOD: Five major issues of addiction treatment systems, as identified and exemplified by an expert survey among 14 countries conducted in 2014, served as a reference for discussing fundamental gaps between an assumed ideal type of treatment system and the treatment response in practice: (1) Resistance to change, consensus building and innovation, (2) Political influence and target group bias beyond evidence, (3) Assumptions about rationality and universal evidence, (4) Myths of addiction and ethical deficits and (5) The treatment gap and user perspectives. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations relevant for politicians, system planners, and clinicians are formulated for each of the five issues, specifically focusing on embeddedness of treatment systems in macro-societal conditions, the abstinence paradigm and outcome diversity, ethnocentric biases of the “evidence credo”, learning from self-change as the major road to recovery, and questioning implicit conceptions of the “addict as a human being”. Furthermore, it is concluded that theories regarding the diffusion of innovation and knowledge exchange can inform future research

The Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Patterns of Support for Democracy in Germany

Has there been a decline in support for democracy in the aftermath of the 2007/08 fiscal crisis and the subsequent economic recession in Germany? This is the general research question dealt with in this article. Based on a differentiated theory of support for democracy results show that levels of support are high and change over time does not support the decline expectation. We conclude that the political culture of Germany’s established democratic political regime has cushioned the impact of the fiscal crisis and the subsequent economic recession in the time period under consideration. German democracy has weathered the crisis well