Loyalty change and benefits: English loyalty toward the European Union.

摘要

This study examines the process of loyalty change from the state to the international organization using Great Britain and the European Union (EU) as case studies. Although substantial governmental functions have shifted from London to the EU, British citizen's loyalty remains firmly with Great Britain. This runs counter to many theories of international integration. This study attempts to explain this by focusing on the role of benefits; particularly, nonmaterial benefits.; The central hypothesis of this study is that loyalty is a function of both material and nonmaterial benefits. A benefit is something that a person gains utility from. Material benefits consist of tangible gains; e.g., shelter, monetary gains, and a secure environment. Nonmaterial benefits consist of intangible gains; e.g., a sense of identity, pride, and cultural and traditional values. A substantial increase in a single type of benefit will only bring about a limited change in loyalty. In order for a substantial change in loyalty to occur we must see a substantial increase in both types of benefits.; In order to test this hypothesis a questionnaire was developed which isolates material and nonmaterial benefits and relates them to loyalty. This was administered by mail throughout England. In addition, substantial public opinion poll data was used; Eurobarometer in particular.; The results confirm the hypothesis. Individuals that received high levels of both types of benefits from the EU demonstrated higher levels of loyalty toward the EU than did individuals that received low levels of both types of benefits. Furthermore, those individuals that received high levels of nonmaterial benefits and low levels of material benefits also demonstrated high levels of loyalty toward the EU, thus confirming the importance of nonmaterial benefits to the process of loyalty change.; In sum, this study sheds light on the role of loyalty in international integration by demonstrating the significance of benefits to the integration process, particularly nonmaterial benefits.