Acceso usuarios
Karen Celis, Anke Schouteden, Bram Wauters
This article critically evaluates explanatory theories about how representatives, and more specifically members of parliament (MPs), connect with interest groups. Central to this are the crucial questions of whether these contacts are party-based or identity-based. Our analysis includes five kinds of groups: two traditional cleavage-based groups (blue-collar workers and employers) with well-established contacts between parties (respectively, social-democratic and conservative parties) and interest groups (trade unions and employers' organisations) on the one hand, and three newer groups in society (women, young people and the elderly), on the other hand. Our analysis is based on the data Partirep MP Survey, which contains information about characteristics, attitudes and behaviour of regional and federal MPs in 15 European countries.
