TY - CHAP

T1 - Danish Public Opinion

T2 - Stability, Change, and Polarization

AU - Dinesen, Peter Thisted

AU - Slothuus, Rune

AU - Stubager, Rune

PY - 2020/7

Y1 - 2020/7

N2 - Citizens’ political opinions provide an essential input to the democratic process that governments must respond to or at least engage with. This chapter provides an overview of public opinion toward four major political issues in Denmark: economic distribution, immigration, the environment, and the European Union. First, aggregate public opinion on the four issues over four decades is illuminated. There is remarkable stability in aggregate public opinion over time. Second, we explore the extent to which this stability in aggregate opinion conceals changing degrees of social polarization in opinions across four socio-demographic groups (gender, age, education, and occupation). Third, we analyse the development of political polarization in Danish public opinion by comparing opinions across voters of political parties over time. Despite aggregate stability, there are remarkable changes in polarization across partisan groups, particularly on attitudes toward immigration, and to a lesser extent, the European Union. Lastly, public opinion in Denmark is compared to other European countries (Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, and Spain).

AB - Citizens’ political opinions provide an essential input to the democratic process that governments must respond to or at least engage with. This chapter provides an overview of public opinion toward four major political issues in Denmark: economic distribution, immigration, the environment, and the European Union. First, aggregate public opinion on the four issues over four decades is illuminated. There is remarkable stability in aggregate public opinion over time. Second, we explore the extent to which this stability in aggregate opinion conceals changing degrees of social polarization in opinions across four socio-demographic groups (gender, age, education, and occupation). Third, we analyse the development of political polarization in Danish public opinion by comparing opinions across voters of political parties over time. Despite aggregate stability, there are remarkable changes in polarization across partisan groups, particularly on attitudes toward immigration, and to a lesser extent, the European Union. Lastly, public opinion in Denmark is compared to other European countries (Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, and Spain).

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 9780198833598

SP - 259

EP - 277

BT - The Oxford Handbook of Danish Politics

A2 - Christiansen, Peter Munk

A2 - Elklit, Jørgen

A2 - Nedergaard, Peter

PB - Oxford University Press

CY - Oxford

ER -