Understanding responsiveness in European Union politics: introducing the debate

Abstract

The extent to which a government’s policies mirror the preferences of its citizens is often deemed a key feature of a representative democracy. While research on this topic has traditionally been done at the national level, scholars have also increasingly been examining the European Union (EU). This debate section takes stock of the research done in this area and includes contributions by authors who have different, but complementary suggestions for how to move forward. Whereas all contributions seek to elucidate the mechanisms behind responsiveness in the EU, they adopt different perspectives that focus on institutional actors, processes of absorbing and communicating policy-relevant information and implementation outcomes.