This research paper deals with the topic of the representation deficit in the European Parliament. It is observed, whether party cohesion as a form of legislative behaviour, influences the degree of citizens’ subjective perceptions of an adequate political representation. High levels of party cohesion are expected to create individual impressions of an adequate political representation.
To test this theory, I generated a roll-call votes dataset to measure party cohesion since 2017. Together with the latest version of the Eurobarometer dataset of 2018, I observe the subjective level of political representation. The empirical analysis through an ordered logistic regression shows that the hypothesis can cautiously be confirmed, meaning that higher levels of party cohesiveness are associated with higher degrees of subjective political representation.
Table of Contents
1. Can party cohesion solve the representation deficit in the EU? An introduction
2. The accusation of a democratic deficit and the role of party cohesion: A literature review
3. How does party cohesion influence subjective political representation? A theoretical argument and hypothesis
4. An empirical analysis on the relationship of party cohesion and political representation
4.1 Description of the Data
4.2 Operationalisation of variables
4.3 Analysis of the Results
5. To what extent do higher degrees of party cohesion in the EP improve the subjective political representation of the electorate? Discussion and Conclusion
Research Objective and Core Topics
This research paper examines whether party cohesion in the European Parliament influences citizens' subjective perceptions of political representation. The central research question investigates to what extent higher degrees of party cohesion improve the perceived representation of the electorate, thereby potentially mitigating the EU's democratic deficit.
- Theoretical exploration of the democratic deficit in the European Union.
- Analysis of party cohesion as a dynamic form of legislative behavior.
- Empirical investigation using roll-call vote datasets and Eurobarometer survey data.
- Assessment of the link between legislative unity and individual feelings of political inclusion.
- Evaluation of control variables including EU-identification, education, and political trust.
Excerpt from the Book
3. How does party cohesion influence subjective political representation? A theoretical argument and hypothesis
Starting with the definition of party cohesion, it is necessary to distinguish it from the similar concept of party discipline. Ozbudun was the first author to outline this “conceptual overlap” between these two terms. According to him, cohesion is “the extent to which, group members can be observed to work together for the group’s goal in one and the same way”, whereas discipline “refers either to a special type of cohesion achieved by enforcing obedience or to a system of sanctions by which such enforced cohesion is attained” (Ozbundun 1970). Ozbundun uses the term cohesion to describe discipline, which means that he does not completely differentiate between the two concepts although he defines them separately (Hazan 2006). He sees discipline as a part of cohesion by stating that “cohesion suggests an objective condition of unity of action among party members, which may or may not be the function of disciplinary repressions” (Ozbundun 1970). Thus, cohesion is a party acting in natural unison without pressure, party discipline, in contrast, is one way to achieve cohesion as an outcome through sanctions, for instance.
There exist a lot of indicators, which citizens might use, to build their attitudes towards the European Union. Due to the several depicted causes of a representation deficit in the EU in the literature review (e.g. Follesdal & Hix 2006, Di Mauro & Memoli 2016, Warleigh 2003, Vasilopoulou & Gattermann 2013), people need to rely on further factors to build upon their perceptions of political representation. Regarding the legislative behaviour of MEPs, one important aspect for assessing the European Union is the degree of party cohesion of parties in the EP. For the further theoretical development, I adapt Meserve’s approach (2017) that parties need to respond to three different principals: the national parties, European political groups and voters.
Summary of Chapters
1. Can party cohesion solve the representation deficit in the EU? An introduction: Introduces the democratic deficit of the EU and defines the research gap regarding the impact of legislative behavior on voter perceptions.
2. The accusation of a democratic deficit and the role of party cohesion: A literature review: Provides a comprehensive overview of existing theories regarding the EU's democratic shortcomings and defines party cohesion as a dynamic parliamentary feature.
3. How does party cohesion influence subjective political representation? A theoretical argument and hypothesis: Develops the theoretical framework connecting party unity to voter perception and states the primary hypothesis.
4. An empirical analysis on the relationship of party cohesion and political representation: Describes the methodology of data collection, the creation of the roll-call dataset, and presents the regression results.
5. To what extent do higher degrees of party cohesion in the EP improve the subjective political representation of the electorate? Discussion and Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, acknowledges research limitations, and discusses the implications for future institutional reforms.
Keywords
Party cohesion, European Parliament, democratic deficit, subjective political representation, roll-call votes, Eurobarometer, legislative behaviour, MEPs, electoral representation, European integration, Euroscepticism, policy-making, political trust, voting behaviour, political identification
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The paper examines the relationship between legislative party cohesion in the European Parliament and the subjective perception of political representation among EU citizens.
Which specific theme does the author address?
The author addresses the "democratic deficit" of the EU, specifically the disconnect between members of parliament and the electorate.
What is the central research question?
The research asks to what extent higher degrees of party cohesion in the European Parliament improve the subjective political representation of the electorate.
What methodological approach does the author use?
The author employs an empirical analysis using an ordered logistic regression model, based on a custom dataset of roll-call votes and the 2018 Eurobarometer survey.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers a literature review on democratic deficits, the development of a theoretical framework, the operationalization of variables, and a detailed statistical analysis of the relationship between party unity and voter feelings.
Which terms best characterize this work?
Key terms include party cohesion, democratic deficit, subjective representation, legislative behavior, and European integration.
Did the author find that party cohesion significantly improves voter satisfaction?
The results show a small positive association, but the findings are statistically insignificant, suggesting that citizens likely use other proxies to judge representation.
What role does the Eurobarometer data play in the study?
It provides the dependent variable, "My voice counts in the EU," to measure individual levels of subjective political representation across different EU member states.
What is the distinction between party cohesion and party discipline according to the paper?
Cohesion is defined as a party acting in natural unison, while discipline is viewed as a specific method of achieving that unity through sanctions.
- Citation du texte
- Maren Weiß (Auteur), 2019, The Influence of Party Cohesion on Subjective Political Representation in the European Union, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/489709
