Resumen de Listening to the people: politicians’ investment in monitoring public opinion and their beliefs about accountability

Karolin Soontjens, Stefaan Walgrave

• Politicians’understanding of public opinion constitutes a crucial factor in therepresentational relationship between them and the public. Therefore,politicians staying abreast of what citizens want and why they want itmatters for democratic representation. In this study, we examine howintensely politicians monitor public opinion and why there is variationbetween politicians. Relying on survey evidence collected among BelgianMPs and U.S. local legislators, we show that politicians who more stronglyfeel the weight of voter scrutiny–who believe that voters are aware of whatthey do and will hold them accountable for it at the ballot box–interactmore frequently with ordinary citizens, discuss public opinion more oftenwith their fellow colleagues, and spend more time collecting public opinioninformation. The effect is potent, even if we control for politicians’electoralvulnerability, their ambition and their role conception