Determinants of Public Attitudes towards Federalism: A Multilevel Analysis

In this paper, we examine how different factors shape public attitudes toward federalism. While previous studies have focused on the U.S. context, this paper offers a comparative perspective by presenting a new survey-based measure to characterize attitudes toward federalism, anchored in the dimensions of self-rule, shared rule, and uniformity and diversity. Using survey data collected in two established federal countries, Germany (N=3,600) and Switzerland (N=2,100), during November and December of 2023, this paper sheds light on European perspectives and fills the gap to collect data on attitudes towards federalism in all German Länder and Swiss cantons. By combining individual and contextual data, we investigate whether contextual factors have an impact on individual-level drivers of federalism attitudes. The results are important for a better understanding of the political legitimization of federal structures and for the literature on public opinion and federalism in general.