The workshop aims to harmonise different studies of democratic representation, attracting comparative analyses to advance a new understanding of the problematic nexus between representation and representing (elective) élites in Europe. The workshop will gather papers from different theoretical perspectives, to stimulate a broad debate on the transformation of democratic representation in Europe. Theoretical, empirical (qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods) and comparative papers of will be welcome, focussing on the characteristics of representative elites, their attitudes and their actual representative capacity. Also, the consequences of the “representative disconnect” and the gap of inclusiveness of European parliaments will be at the core of the discussion.
Recent literature on representative democracy has highlighted a dense debate on the determinants of a crisis affecting both public perceptions and the expectations of political actors. The themes at the core of this debate are well-known: among the others, the distrust between representatives and the represented, the decline of partisanship, the weakening of the “representative nexus”. Less attention has been paid to the issue of the capacity of the "formal" representative elites within the chain of democratic delegations to continue a positive work of projection/interpretation of the demands and characteristics of a changing society.
This workshop focuses on the missing capabilities of representation of the current European context. This investigation is needed both in a descriptive and interpretative perspective (exploring the determinants of the phenomena of crisis of parliamentary representation and élite decay) As well as in a normative one (individuating the scenario for a change of descriptive and effective representation in order to “reconnection” élites and voters).
1: What are the relevant transformations of the “descriptive representation”?
2: How exactly can we study the democratic disconnect appropriately?
3: Are the attitudes of political representatives changing, as a consequence of the democratic disconnect?
4: Are elected politicians aware of the changes affecting the European society and do they show need attitudes?
5: Do they show a credible degree of inclusiveness and sensibility to represent the under-represented social groups?
1: Theoretical papers individuating and assessing puzzles and frames to be offered to the future research.
2: Extensive comparative papers dealing with characteristics and perceptions of representative (e.g. party) elites.
3: Comparisons and even case studies dealing with some innovative aspects in the study of representation.
4: Methodological papers (qualitative/quantitative/mixed-methods) studying a crisis of representation.
5: Papers focusing on the representative disconnect evoked by political parties.
6: Papers focusing on the representative disconnect in parliament and weaking the role of parliaments.
