A decline in religious belief, waning class values, rising postmaterialism, along with green values, feminism, and postmodernism - all these phenomena are indicative of widespread change in value orientations among West European citizens during the last two decades. The extent of these changes and their impact on politics are the dual concerns of this volume.

The first chapters present a simple model of the relationship between value orientations and political participation, and follow this up with an account of how value orientations can be identified empirically. Subsequent chapters draw on a vast data set from across Europe over the last two decades to track changes in three central value orientations - religious-secular, left-right materialism, materialism-postmaterialism - as well as the emergence of feminism, postmodernism, and green orientations. The third part of the volume examines the impact on the three central orientations on political efficacy, political trust, interest in politics, voting, and involvement in new social movements. The volume concludes with an assessment of the effects of changing value orientations for government in advanced industrial societies.

A Choice `Outstanding Academic Book of the Year'.

Series description
This set of five volumes is an exhaustive study of beliefs in government in post-war Europe. Based upon an extensive collection of survey evidence, the results challenge widely argued theories of mass opinion, and much scholarly writing about citizen attitudes towards government and politics. The series arises from a research project sponsored by the European Science Foundation.

Reviews of the series:
`The quality of the empirical analysis is consistently high...[an] important collection of empirical studies addressing the debate about the "crisis of representation" in Europe,'
Journal of Public Policy

`These volumes contain the work of many of the most important scholars in the field of public opinion in Europe today...These five volumes represent a major contribution to comparative politics, especially the study of mass politics. The chapters provide a wealth of information about public opinion in contemporary Europe and the relationship between state and society...The volumes clearly will be read by all students of European politics...'
Times Educational Supplement

`The Beliefs in Government series is a monumental achievement. It tells us at least everything we want to know about the structure of European public opinion'. The Good Society

Reviews of The Impact of Values:
`The Impact of Values does not disappoint. Meticulously organized chapters ensure that this is a volume which can either be read comfortably from cover to cover, or dipped into at leisure'.
Democratization

` a well-integrated and informative account of the subject...a painstakingly-crafted and meticulously researched exercise which will stand as a major reference work for many years to come...'
Political Studies