How does Support for Belgian Federalism differ between Flanders and Wallonia?

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• INTRODUCTION: WHAT ABOUT DIFFUSE SUPPORT IN BELGIAN FEDERALISM?
• IN SEARCH OF A VALID INDICATOR FOR DIFFUSE SUPPORT
• RESEARCH DESIGN
  • RESEARCH QUESTION AND GOALS
  • RESEARCH RELEVANCE
  • IMPORTANT RESEARCH REMARKS
• THE CRITICAL CASE OF BELGIAN FEDERALISM
  • BELGIUM: FEDERALISM AS OUTCOME WHILE STILL IN PROCESS
  • AN OVERVIEW OF COMPARATIVE FEDERALISM
• CONCEPTUALIZING DIFFUSE SUPPORT AND OPERATIONALIZING DIVISION OF COMPETENCES
  • TRUST AND LEGITIMACY
  • A CLEAR SEPARATION FROM SPECIFIC SUPPORT
  • SUPPORT FOR DIVISION OF COMPETENCES AS A MEASURE FOR DIFFUSE SUPPORT
• ASSESSING DIFFERENT PREDICTORS OF DIFFUSE SUPPORT FOR BELGIAN FEDERALISM
  • POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE
    • Level of Education
    • Factual Political Knowledge
  • POLITICAL IDEOLOGY
  • REGIONAL IDENTITY
  • INTERREGIONAL CONTACT
• THE MAIN INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: REGION
• METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS
  • OPERATIONALISING THE VARIABLES
    • Region
    • Division of Competences
    • Level of Education
    • Factual Political Knowledge
    • Political Ideology
    • Regional Identity
    • Interregional Contact
  • VALIDITY OF DIVOCOM AS AN INDICATOR FOR DIFFUSE SUPPORT
  • CONSTRUCTING THE MODEL STEP-BY-STEP
    • Regressing Region
    • Education: a significant value to the model?
    • Factual Political Knowledge: moderation or mediation?
    • Political Ideology: lack of significant mediation
    • Regional Identity and mediation effect
    • Mediation of Interregional Contact
    • The last step to the model and final results
  • WHEN NEGATIVE TOWARDS DIVOCOM: REGIONALISM OR UNITARIANISM?
  • ASSESSING THE VALIDITY OF THE STRUCTURAL MODEL
• DISCUSSION, LIMITATIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis aims to explore the level of support Belgian citizens have for the Belgian federal system, particularly focusing on the impact of regional separateness on diffuse support. It investigates the validity of using support for the division of competences as an indicator for diffuse support in this context. The research aims to understand the factors that influence citizens' views on the division of power between federal and regional levels.

• Diffuse Support for Belgian Federalism
• The Role of Regional Identity and Regional Separateness
• Support for the Division of Competences as an Indicator for Diffuse Support
• Factors Influencing Support for Belgian Federalism
• Political Knowledge, Ideology, and Interregional Contact

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The thesis starts with an introduction that highlights the relevance of studying diffuse support within the context of Belgian federalism. The second chapter discusses the challenges of operationalizing diffuse support and explores the potential of using support for the division of competences as a valid indicator. The research design is presented in the third chapter, outlining the research question, goals, and key considerations. Chapter four delves into the specific case of Belgian federalism, providing a historical context and examining the country's unique federal system. The fifth chapter focuses on conceptualizing diffuse support and operationalizing the concept of division of competences. Chapter six explores various predictors of diffuse support, including political knowledge, ideology, regional identity, and interregional contact. The seventh chapter presents the methodology and results of the study, examining the impact of region and other factors on support for the division of competences. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the findings, limitations, and future research directions.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This study focuses on the concepts of diffuse support, Belgian federalism, and the division of competences. It investigates the influence of regional identity, political knowledge, and ideology on citizens' attitudes towards the federal system. The study uses a quantitative approach to analyze data from the Partisanship and Representation survey, exploring the validity of support for the division of competences as an indicator for diffuse support.