Contested Representation
Challenges, Shortcomings and Reforms
Published on 25. January 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
366 pages
978-1-009-26768-7 (ISBN)
Description
In the past two decades, democratic institutions have faced a crisis of representation. From authoritarian backsliding in countries with recent democratic transformations, to severe challenges to established liberal democracies, the meaning of political representation and whether and when it succeeds has become highly debated. In response to an increasingly fraught political climate, Contested Representation brings together scholars from across the United States and Europe to critically assess the performance of representative institutions in Europe and North America. Taking an interdisciplinary, comparative approach, this volume looks at the viability of electoral institutions, the responsiveness of government to public preferences, alternative institutions for more inclusive democracy, and the political economy of populism. Chapters also address the broader normative question of how democratic institutions can be adapted to new conditions and challenges. Expertly researched and exceedingly timely, Contested Representation provides critical frameworks that highlight realistic pathways to democratic reform.
Reviews / Votes
'Concerns about the capacity of liberal democratic institutions to solve pressing social problems while adequately representing the interests of ordinary citizens are on the rise. Consequently, authoritarian alternatives of both the populist and technocratic variety are resurgent. This volume deftly combines democratic theory and empirical evidence to reassess the state of liberal democracy and suggest reforms to support of its preservation.' Nolan McCarty, Princeton University 'This captivating volume joins rigorous empirical scholarship with cutting-edge theory on democratic representation to plumb leading challenges confronting mass democracies worldwide. Staging a rare dialogue among diverse approaches, this volume achieves something rarer still. It inspires hope for democratic innovation.' Lisa Disch, University of Michigan, Ann ArborMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 224 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
514 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-009-26768-7 (9781009267687)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Claudia Landwehr | Thomas Saalfeld | Armin Schaefer
Contested Representation
Challenges, Shortcomings and Reforms
Book
11/2022
Cambridge University Press
€102.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
Content
1. Introduction Claudia Landwehr, Thomas Saalfeld and Armin Schaefer; Part I. The Contested Idea of Political Representation: 2. Democratic Representation, Contestation and Institutional Reform Claudia Landwehr; 3. Deliberative Minipublics and the Populist Conception of Representation as Embodiment Cristina Lafont; 4.Protest and the Will of the People in a Representative Democracy Daniel Gillion; 5. Evolving Dilemmas: Representative Democracy in the European Union Guri Rosen; 6. Progress and Failure in Achieving Equal Representation: Understanding Women's Office Holding by Party in the US Melody Crowder-Meyer; Part II. Representation and Responsiveness in Unequal Societies: 7. Reconsidering Representation: How the Same Data Can Produce Divergent Conclusions about the Quality of Democratic Responsiveness in the United States Peter K. Enns; 8. Party Politics or Public Opinion? Unequal Responsiveness of Policy-making Reconsidered Marius R. Busemeyer; 9. Unequal Representation and the Right-Wing Populist Vote in Europe Svenja Hense and Armin Schaefer; 10. What Do Voters Think About the Descriptive Underrepresentation of the Working Class? Nicholas Carnes and Noam Lupu; Part III. Polarization, New Cleavages and Shifts in Democratic Government: 11. Policy and Politics in Disjuncture Jane Gingrich and Ben Ansell; 12. The Effect of Polarization on Cabinet Formation and Termination in European Democracies, 1945-2019 Henning Bergmann and Thomas Saalfeld; 13. Is Populism a Threat or a Chance for Representative Democracy? Michael Zuern; Part IV. Constitutional Crisis and Institutional Reform: 14. Deliberative Innovations and the (Re-) Inclusion of Disadvantaged and Disaffected Citizens Andre Baechtiger and Vanessa Schwaiger; 15. Electoral Democracies and Democratic Innovations: An Agenda Mark E. Warren.