Mass-elite representation gap in old and new democracies : critical junctures and elite agency / edited by Jaemin Shim.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shim, Jaemin.

Series:

New comparative politics.

New comparative politics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Representative government and representation.

Democracy.

Elite (Social sciences)--Political aspects.

Elite (Social sciences).

Political participation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (281 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor, Michigan : University of Michigan Press, 2024.

Summary:

The alignment of voter preferences and the preferences of their parliamentary representatives has long been understood as a vital part of representative democracy. However, recent decades have seen a considerable increase in such gaps between mass (the public) and elite (the representatives) policy preferences, appearing not just as isolated or single-topic issues, but rather across the spectrum of political dimensions. The negative effects can include decreased trust and voter engagement, dissatisfaction with democratic ideals and process, and even democratic backsliding. Mass-Elite Representation Gap in Old and New Democracies brings together a global array of scholars to examine the issue from new angles, drawing on evidence from North Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe. This global-level analysis of different representation gaps demonstrates that these gaps vary in content, structure, and the timing of formation. Moreover, recognizing the socially, culturally, and internationally embedded nature of party politics, the contributors in the volume trace the historical origin of gaps observed in different world regions. The findings show that earlier choices made by political elites during historical-critical junctures lead to preference mismatch, undermining the quality of democratic representation.

Contents:

1. Global mass-elite discrepancy : an introduction / Jaemin Shim

Part I. Varieties of mass-elite discrepancy : global and EU-level conceptualization

2. Fifty shades of mass-elite discrepancy : varieties of political dimensions and discrepancy forms / Jaemin Shim

3. European integration and its different guises across Europe : a sub-dimensional perspective on mass-elite discrepancy / Andrea Parschi, Gianfranco Baldini, and Matteo Giglioli

Part II. Theorizing causes behind mass-elite discrepancy in old and new democracies

4. Shadow of a critical juncture : asymmetric politicization and elite agency / Jaemin Shim

5. Polarization, political cleavages, and elites in old and new democracies / Simon Bornschier

Part III. Critical junctures and mass-elite discrepancy : religious and foreign policy issues

6. Mass-elite religious-secular discrepancy in Tunisia : the revolution as a critical juncture / Mahmoud Farag

7. Lost in translation? : re-democratization and mass-elite discrepancy in Indonesian politics / Andreas Ufen

8. Mass-elite discrepancy over foreign policy : constitutional revision in Japan / Kenneth McElwain

9. Domesticizing foreign policy? : the opportunistic engagement of Bulgarian elites with mass attitudes on EU integration / Petar Bankov and Sergiu Gherghina

Conclusion

10. Conclusion : what the book does and what further research might follow from it / Stephen Whitefield and Robert Rohrschneider.

Notes:

Title from eBook information screen..

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on information from the publisher.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

0-472-90458-2

OCLC:

1422803482

Access Restriction:

Open Access Unrestricted online access