Democratic Innovations and the Challenge of Trust in Representative Institutions

On 16 September 2023, Federico Russo (University of Salento) presented preliminary findings from REDIRECT’s Work Package 6 at the SISP Conference 2023 in Genoa. The paper, titled “Democratic Innovations to Rebuilding Trust in Representative Institutions: A Comparative Overview”, marked the first public presentation of Deliverable 6.1.

The presentation investigated efforts to renew representative democracy in Europe in response to growing public dissatisfaction and a broader political crisis that has unfolded over the past two decades. Through a literature review, it compiled a range of initiatives aimed at revitalizing political parties and representative institutions. The analysis focused on innovations such as the democratisation of candidate selection processes, enhanced interaction between party members and parliamentary groups, the digitalisation of parliamentary functions, the creation of new channels to facilitate communication between citizens and their representatives, and the development of Voting Advice Applications. Finally, the presentation explored whether there is a direct relationship between the long-term decline in public trust in representative institutions and the implementation of these remedial measures.

The conference also provided an important opportunity to receive critical feedback from fellow scholars, helping to refine the upcoming deliverable and guide future stages of research within WP6.

Date: 16 September 2023
Location: SISP Conference 2023, Genoa, Italy
Partner: University of Salento (UNILE)
Participant: Federico Russo
Type of event: Conference / Paper presentation

#DemocraticInnovations #TrustInInstitutions #SISP2023 #REDIRECT #WP6