Elite?Mass Linkages in the Preference Formation on Differentiated Integration

How does the public form preferences about differentiated integration (DI)? The literature on mass-elite linkages offers two perspectives: top-down, political elites cue public, or bottom-up, react to preferences. This paper develops expectations based both perspectives, and presents novel empirical data citizens, parties, governments test them. We distinguish over policy integration, like ‘Opt-Outs’, from polity differentiation, such as ‘Two-Speed Europe’. Although our evidence is observational therefore cannot establish causal relationships between mass results are most compatible with notion of a top-down linkage. because DI generally low salience, first revealed at European level in context negotiations. Subsequently, this revelation shapes domestic discussions DI, especially parties. Yet, mostly pertains situations when do not yet have clear their own, meaning government formed supranational Overall, study suggests that linkage preference formation might be more tenuous than either bottom-up perspective assume.