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Output Legitimacy and the Global Financial Crisis: Perceptions Matter

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  • ERIK JONES

Abstract

The global economic crisis has sapped support for the euro and lowered trust in the European Central Bank (ECB). In doing so, it has also exposed a weakness in the ‘output‐oriented legitimation’ of Europe's economic and monetary union. The common monetary policy and single currency have to be perceived as working if they are to maintain popular acceptance. Whether they actually work is less important than this perception. This raises the prospect that no matter how successful the ECB is in responding to moments of crisis, public opinion may begin to reflect the perception that it has failed. Indeed, the greater the uncertainty experienced during the crisis, the more likely it is that such negative perceptions will predominate. Worse, there is very little that the ECB can do to change popular perceptions or to create new channels for input‐oriented legitimation without jeopardizing the credibility of its commitment to price stability or its reputation for political independence.

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  • Erik Jones, 2009. "Output Legitimacy and the Global Financial Crisis: Perceptions Matter," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5), pages 1085-1105, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:47:y:2009:i:5:p:1085-1105
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5965.2009.02036.x
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    2. Louis W. Pauly, 2009. "The Old and the New Politics of International Financial Stability," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47, pages 955-975, November.
    3. Dermot Hodson & Lucia Quaglia, 2009. "European Perspectives on the Global Financial Crisis: Introduction," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47, pages 939-953, November.
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    5. Matúš Mišík, 2013. "How can perception help us to understand the dynamic between EU member states? The state of the art," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 445-463, December.
    6. Louis W. Pauly, 2009. "The Old and the New Politics of International Financial Stability," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5), pages 955-975, November.
    7. Daniela Gabor & Cornel Ban, 2016. "Banking on Bonds: The New Links Between States and Markets," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 617-635, May.
    8. Gros, Daniel & Roth, Felix, 2011. "Do Germans support the euro?," CEPS Papers 6515, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    9. Thomas Otter, 2013. "Crisis and Trust in National and European Union Institutions — Panel Evidence for the EU, 1999 to 2012," EUI-RSCAS Working Papers 31, European University Institute (EUI), Robert Schuman Centre of Advanced Studies (RSCAS).
    10. Felix Roth & Lars Jonung & Felicitas Nowak-Lehmann D., 2022. "Crisis and Public Support for the Euro, 1990–2014," Contributions to Economics, in: Public Support for the Euro, chapter 0, pages 55-91, Springer.
    11. Erik Jones, 2010. "The Economic Mythology of European Integration," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 89-109, January.
    12. Fontan, Clément & Goutsmedt, Aurélien, 2023. "The ECB and the inflation monsters: strategic framing and the responsibility imperative (1998-2023)," SocArXiv 92r54, Center for Open Science.
    13. Dermot Hodson & Lucia Quaglia, 2009. "European Perspectives on the Global Financial Crisis: Introduction," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5), pages 939-953, November.
    14. Massoc, Elsa C., 2022. "Climate change versus price stability: How "green" central bankers and members of the European parliament became pragmatic (yet precarious) bedfellows," LawFin Working Paper Series 33, Goethe University, Center for Advanced Studies on the Foundations of Law and Finance (LawFin).
    15. Manuela Moschella & Nicola M Diodati, 2020. "Does politics drive conflict in central banks’ committees? Lifting the veil on the European Central Bank consensus," European Union Politics, , vol. 21(2), pages 183-203, June.
    16. Madelaine Moore & Silke Trommer, 2021. "Critical Europeans in an Age of Crisis: Irish and Portuguese Protesters' EU Perceptions," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(2), pages 316-334, March.
    17. Felix Roth & Lars Jonung & Felicitas Nowak-Lehmann D., 2022. "The Enduring Popularity of the Euro throughout the Crisis," Contributions to Economics, in: Public Support for the Euro, chapter 0, pages 169-185, Springer.
    18. Federico M. Ferrara & Donato Masciandaro & Manuela Moschella & Davide Romelli, 2023. "What do politicians think of technocratic institutions? Experimental Evidence on the European Central Bank," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 23201, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    19. Nedelchev, Miroslav, 2015. "Coordination of banking regulation in the EU," MPRA Paper 66073, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2015.
    20. Eichler, Stefan & Hielscher, Kai, 2012. "Does the ECB act as a lender of last resort during the subprime lending crisis?: Evidence from monetary policy reaction models," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 552-568.

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