A REDIRECT event was held at the University of Exeter exploring how the representative disconnect can be studied and addressed in contemporary democracies. The workshop, titled The Representative Disconnect: How to Study It and How to Fix It, brought together researchers and stakeholders to examine new empirical findings on political representation, citizen engagement, youth perspectives, and possible strategies for democratic reconnection.
The event opened with a session on experimental approaches to political representation. Presentations by Federico Russo (University of Salento), Zsófia Papp (ELTE CSS, Budapest), and Oliver James (Exeter) examined parliamentary responsiveness, multidimensional legislative accountability, and politicians’ preferences for mini-publics. A second session reflected on findings from a REDIRECT Delphi exercise, followed by a presentation by Alice Moseley, Lise Herman, and Mathieu Prevelato (Exeter) on how greater politicization and institutionalization may help mini-publics fulfil their democratic promise.
A substantial part of the workshop focused on youth and the representative disconnect in Europe. Contributions from Kevin Meyvaert, Eline Severs, Elly Mansoury (VUB Brussels), Marta Smagacz-Poziemska, Magdalena Góra, and Katarzyna Zielińska (Jagiellonian University, Kraków) explored young people’s understandings of democracy, political disengagement, focus group research in Brussels and Kraków, and the representation of youth by young parliamentarians. These discussions highlighted both the frustrations many young citizens experience with representative politics and the importance of understanding how representation is claimed, perceived, and enacted.
The workshop concluded with a round table involving academics and local stakeholders, including councillors and civic organizers, which connected REDIRECT’s research agenda to practical challenges facing representative democracy at the local level. Discussions addressed political disillusionment, civic education, community-building, and the pressures faced by elected representatives in reconnecting with citizens.
The event provided a valuable forum for scholarly exchange and dialogue between researchers and practitioners on the causes of representative disconnect and possible pathways for democratic renewal.
Date: 24 February 2026
Location: Exeter, United Kingdom
Partner: University of Exeter (UNEXE)
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