Parliaments, Parties and Electoral Politics in the EU

This Section welcomes contributions related to parliaments, parties and elections within the EU context broadly defined. Across the member states of the European Union, and within the political system of the EU itself, parliaments, parties and elections remain the at the center of political life. Despite the growing role of executives, charismatic political leaders and new media, these three elements of the political system continue to serve as the key mechanisms of democratic engagement and control, constantly adapting to the new features of contemporary democracies. While we are open to research that focuses on each of these institutions individually, we particularly welcome those that embed specific institutions within the broader political and institutional process and engage with the (explicit and implicit) linkages between them that serve to shape the political process. In addition, reflecting the increasing difficulty in isolating national and supranational levels of politics as a result of the rising saliency of the EU within domestic political arenas, we encourage contributions that thoughtfully address multi-level institutional linkages (both bottom-up and upside-down, also on a comparative basis). This Section invites contributions from a broad array of perspectives and methodological approaches – also encouraging interdisciplinary analysis – and welcomes both individual and pre-formed Panel submissions.