The aim of studying representation and institutional make-up in the multilevel European polity is to assess the status of democracy in Europe, with emphasis on:
Clarifying the nature of the challenges facing systems of representation at the national and supranational levels in Europe
Analysing interactions between these levels
Establishing the direction of change – towards which of the three RECON models do these systems develop?
Evaluating the democratic quality of these arrangements
Such an assessment presupposes proper attention to the broader institutional settings within which patterns of representation are entrenched in the European multilevel setting. Given that there are limitations in the electoral model of democracy, WP 3 also conceptualizes new kinds of institutional arrangements for establishing alternative models of accountability on the basis of the theory of deliberative democracy.
Research from the project is published in academic journals and books, as well as in RECON’s publication series (reports and online working papers). A complete list of publications and presentations from WP 3 is available for each year of the project.
This research group organises a number of workshops and conferences, as well as panels at international conferences. Complete list of WP 3 events.
