Politicians in Hard Times

This book analyses the Spanish parliamentary elites in a comparative perspective within southern Europe. What has been the impact of the Great Recession on the configuration of parliaments and the diversity of legislators? Have new parties delivered better representation of citizens in terms of demographics (gender, age, social class), ideology or political attitudes and beliefs? This original research is based on a 2018 survey on members of two national chambers and 17 regional parliaments. Comparing these data with those of a simultaneous survey carried out on Spanish citizens and with data from previous research a decade ago, the book examines the changes that have occurred in representation during the course of the Great Recession and provides evidence of the growing distance between citizens and parliamentary elites. Additionally, using data from the Comparative Candidates Survey , the book compares the ideological congruence between citizens and their representatives in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.

Is based on the main results of the second comprehensive survey to MPs at national and regional level Offers for the first time a picture of who the MPs are, what they think and how distant (or close) they are to citizens Draws lessons for relatively new democracies -Portugal, Greece and some Eastern European and Latin American countries - experiencing a political crisis in the form of disaffection and political mistrust

Autorentext

Xavier Coller is Professor in the Department of Political Science at the Unversidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Spain. He has taught in several universities in Europe and the US. He has authored or co-authored over a hundred works on social theories, research methods, collective identities, complex organizations, and political elites.

Leonardo Sánchez-Ferrer is Professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Burgos, Spain. He has taught and researched in different European universities. He has authored or co- authored works on public policies, educational reforms, voting, political elites and leaders.

Inhalt

1. Democracy, Politicians and Citizens.- 2. Do MPs Represent Us?.- 3. The Personality of MPs and Citizens: Differentiation and Congruence.- 4. Political Socialisation.- 5. New Political Scenario, New Motivations?.- 6. Democratic, Yet Representative? Selecting MPs in a Multilevel Polity.- 7. Obliged to Respond? MP's Modes of Political Representation.- 8. Responsiveness Towards Street Protests. MPs' and citizens' Normative Views.- 9. How Democracy Works: Divergent Perspectives of Representatives and Citizens.- 10. Elite and Citizens' Attitudes Towards Territorial Organisation.- 11. Territorial and National Identities in Times of Change.- 12. Euroscepticism in Spain: A Phenomenon of Extremes?.- 13. Ideological Congruence Following the Great Recession.- 14. Ideological and Policy Congruence in Italy and Spain.- 15. Ideological Coherence Within Parties: Portugal and Spain.- 16. Are Challengers Better Representatives? Greece and Spain.- 17. Left-Right Ideological Congruence in Southern Europe.- 18. Leadership in Hard Times?.