On 14 August 2024, Sergio Martini, Paolo Marzi, Luca Verzichelli, and Greta Comedini (University of Siena) presented their paper “From rules to roles, from locus to focus: A critical guide of five decades of (political) elite surveys and the study of political representation” at the General Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), hosted by University College Dublin.
The paper offers a critical review of five decades of elite surveys and their contributions to the study of political representation. Drawing on a cross-national dataset covering 29 democracies, the authors trace how survey items have evolved over time and assess the extent to which they effectively capture the roles, perceptions, and responsiveness of political elites.
Beyond mapping the historical development of these tools, the paper identifies key blind spots in the way elite-citizen relationships have been measured. It argues for a more harmonised and conceptually robust use of elite surveys, especially as a means of understanding contemporary forms of representative disconnect.
This work contributes to REDIRECT’s broader objective of refining the empirical foundations of research on representation, bridging long-term data traditions with current democratic challenges.
Date: 14 August 2024
Location: ECPR General Conference, University College Dublin, Ireland
Partner: University of Siena (UNISI)
Authors: Sergio Martini, Paolo Marzi, Luca Verzichelli, Greta Comedini
Type of event: Conference / Paper presentation
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