On 13 September 2024, Federico Russo (University of Salento) presented the paper “Searching for the Representative Disconnect: A Longitudinal Analysis of Citizen Surveys in Eight European Democracies” at the SISP Conference 2024 in Trieste. The paper was co-authored with Evelyn De Simone, Sergio Martini, and Elif Şeyma Şişman, and represents a collaborative effort between the Universities of Salento and Siena.
The presentation drew on data from eleven mass surveys conducted across eight European countries to analyse long-term trends in citizens’ relationship with democratic institutions. The study focused on indicators such as trust in political actors, perceived responsiveness, and support for democracy, examining how these variables correlate with patterns of voter turnout and broader democratic disaffection.
Through a comparative lens, the authors identified both common trajectories and country-specific variations in the evolution of representative disconnect. The findings offer crucial insights into how citizens’ evaluations of democracy have changed over time, and how these shifts may challenge the legitimacy and effectiveness of representative systems.
This paper makes a significant contribution to REDIRECT’s empirical agenda and to ongoing debates about democratic resilience and citizen engagement in Europe.
Date: 13 September 2024
Location: SISP Conference 2024, Trieste, Italy
Partners: University of Salento (UNILE), University of Siena (UNISI)
Authors: Evelyn De Simone, Sergio Martini, Federico Russo, Elif Şeyma Şişman
Presenter: Federico Russo
Type of event: Conference/Paper presentation
#DemocraticDisconnect #ComparativeSurveys #CitizenTrust #REDIRECT #SISP2024