Why show up? Understanding why politicians attend public meetings
Av Jan Erling Klausen, Christian Lo, Signy Irene Vabo, Marte Slagsvold Winsvold
Tidsskrift: European Journal of Political Research
Språk: Engelsk
Lenke til original versjon: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1475676526100899
Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/11250/5482770
This article examines what motivates elected representatives to engage with citizens in organised settings, specifically investigating the role of anticipatory representation – aligning policies with future voter preferences. Using representation theory, the study involves in-depth interviews with representatives in three Norwegian municipalities, focusing on their perception of public meetings as avenues for listening, convincing, and deliberating. The findings suggest that anticipatory representation minimally influences politicians’ attendance at these meetings. Instead, they view public meetings primarily as opportunities to listen to citizens rather than as platforms for persuasion or policy deliberation. Despite often disliking the confrontational aspects of these meetings, politicians attend to demonstrate presence and show interest in their constituents. Thus, the main motivation for their participation is the chance to exhibit responsiveness, rather than engaging in argumentative or deliberative exchanges. This research sheds light on the dynamics of politician–citizen interactions in democratic settings.
