Between-Election Democracy

Challenged by the notion that the system of government known as 'representative democracy' is more elitist than is commonly assumed, contributors to this book seek new approaches to empirical studies on the relationship between citizens and their chosen representatives. The book focuses on the way in which representatives and citizens interact during mandate periods between elections.

It contributes in three ways to previous research on the representative relationship. First, by thinking broadly about between-election phenomena, it integrates research literatures which study representative relationships parallel to each other, on separate tracks. Second, it aspires to identify questions that have remained unanswered, or even unidentified, in previous representation research. Third, it suggests a reconceptualisation of 'responsiveness', which acknowledges that representatives are required to communicate their reason for actions but not necessarily to adapt to citizens' wishes and views.