Political Representation in Subnational Governments and the Challenge of Populism

Abstract

Since the 2000s, a significant number of surveys among representatives from local and regional governments has been accumulated. For example, there are large-scale and comparative surveys such as the ‘European Mayor Survey’ among mayors in 29 European countries (Bäck, Heinelt and Magnier 2006; Heinelt, Magnier, Cabria and Reynaert 2018), the ‘Second Tier of Local Government’ survey among councillors from 15 European countries (Betrana, Egner, and Heinelt 2016), and the ‘Local Councillors in Europe’ survey which includes no less than 12,000 local elites across Europe (Egner, Sweeting and Klok 2013). Other examples include surveys that are held in particular countries such as the ‘Panel of Elected Representatives’ at the DIGSSCORE (University of Bergen) in Norway which surveys national, regional and local representatives once per year since 2017 and the ‘Monitor of Political Officials’ in the Netherlands which is fielded among local representatives in 2019. The objective of this panel is to share findings based on survey data among elected representatives at all territorial levels and to discuss how, when, and where role perceptions are different among these representatives. Scholars who study representation at the local and regional levels tend to take up similar kind of questions but they tend to present papers in panels organized by different sub-sections of political science associations and they tend to publish in their own specific journals. This panel will serve as a platform where scholars working on survey data on elected representatives can meet and share their observations and knowledge. We welcome submissions of paper proposals that present empirical findings based on survey data among elected and non-elected representatives across various territorial levels and analyses may be based on a single or several territories but papers that compare role perceptions across national and subnational representatives are especially welcomed.

Title	Details
Populist Narratives in Local and Regional Governance? from the Manifesto to the Government	View Paper Details
Welfare Benefactor, Security Paladin or Technocratic Manager? The Effect of Populist Mayor on Public Policy and Investment in Czech Cities.	View Paper Details
Congruence Between Voters and Elected Representatives’ Perceptions on ‘What is at Stake’ in Local Elections in Norway	View Paper Details
Enabling Exclusion: the Consequences of Populists in National Government for Their Policy-Making in Local Government	View Paper Details