Elite Perceptions of the Rural Democratic Disconnect

An increasing global literature is identifying a discontent with politics among rural populations. Whether this is more severe than in metropolitan areas is unclear but what is clear is the distinctive nature of rural political discontent; an example of which are the farmers’ protests across Germany in January 2024. Recent influential studies have focused on understanding ‘rural consciousness’ and exploring the political preferences which currently arise from it (for example in the United States, see Cramer, 2016). However, there has to date been insufficient attention on ‘the representatives’ and how they understand contemporary politics from a rural perspective. Through the case study of Australia, this paper explores elite perceptions on both questions of policy but also more broadly on the views of politicians as representatives of rural areas. In doing so, this paper considers a different conceptualisation of the ‘democratic disconnect’, which is typically considered to be a gulf between representatives and the represented, to one which focuses on the disconnect between ‘government’ and the lived experiences, wants, and needs of rural populations. We consider the narratives presented by rural politicians of this rural democratic disconnect and reflect on the possible implications for the future of representative democracy particularly when rural areas around the world are increasingly at the forefront in debates over food security, climate change, and environmental protection. References: Cramer, Katherine (2016) The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker (Chicago, University of Chicago Press).