Seeking solutions for cross-border problems: intuitive functionalists and support for the European Union

Most of the established predictors of individual-level support for the European Union (EU) concern externalities of the integration process, such as economic performance at the national level and the EU's effect on national identity, rather than any of the original motives behind the creation of the European project. In contrast, many of the elite-driven theories explaining European integration focus on what European countries actually gain from being members of the EU. This paper serves to connect these two bodies of scholarship, arguing that there is a functionalist dimension to support for European integration. Some individuals may perceive the EU as important for addressing certain cross-border problems (such as combatting pollution or organized crime) that cannot be resolved by any state acting in isolation. To test this possibility, the paper relies on survey data from Eurobarometer 72.4, conducted in the fall of 2009. The results suggest that, in addition to the established predictors, the perception that the EU fulfills essential noneconomic functions also drives EU support.