Perceptions of representation: a cross analysis of citizens’ and MPs’ views

As shown by population surveys in many democracies, dissatisfaction with the responsiveness of parliaments and elected representatives has become widespread in many contemporary democracies. One possible explanation to this pattern is a felt discrepancy between the citizens’ normative expectations on political representation on the one hand and the perceived practice of representation by parliaments as collective agencies and members of parliament on the other. If a large segment of the public doubts whether parliaments and parliamentarians do adequately perform their roles as representatives of the citizens, the idea of representative democracy is challenged. This holds true for normative as well as empirical reasons. A perceived discrepancy between the normative idea and the practice of representation can be interpreted as a cultural misfit, leading towards phenomena such as a lack of compliance to political decisions, distrust in political institutions and actors, withdrawal of support for the political regime, abstention from vote, and participation in (illegal) protest activities. The aim of the workshop is to analyze the attitudes towards parliamentary representation in contemporary democracies and to explore the impact of the respective attitudes on the citizens’ broader relationship towards the political system. Starting from the classical theoretical debates on the concept of representation, the papers should focus on a comparative or single case study of the citizens’ and/or elite’s attitudes towards the normative idea and practice of parliamentary representation at the various levels of the political system.