Regierungskommunikation und politische Unterstützung

The acceptance or rejection of a controversial decision has a long-term effect on a government’s legitimacy process. A government that receives acceptance for its initiative, in spite of the disputes about it, or for its interpretation of a situation improves its reputation and strengthens confidence in it. The opposite happens when a governmental decision is rejected. Here, the message could be that the government does not respect the common good of society. This comparative study examines governmental communication and tries to ascertain which frames are associated with a change in the social support for a decision. In doing so, the study analyses sixteen controversial governmental decisions in Berlin and Hamburg. It illustrates how important the communication of these decisions is for the symbolic legitimacy of the government. It means much more to governments than a simple tool with which to promote positive support for their own initiatives.