How Political Elites Think About Democracy: Evidence From Europe

Political elites are not only decision-makers but also key interpreters of democracy. Yet, we still know little about how they understand democracy across its different dimensions. Using an original elite survey from the REDIRECT project covering elected elites in eight European countries, we examine five conceptions of democracy: electoral, liberal, social, direct, and populist. Our findings show broad elite support for democracy, but important differences in how democracy is understood. Electoral and liberal democracy are widely shared, whereas direct and populist conceptions are more contested. Democratic views are shaped by both individual and contextual factors. Education strongly affects support for unmediated forms of democracy, while ideology matters mainly for social democracy. Evaluations of democratic performance and national contexts also influence elite understandings of democracy. Overall, we find both convergence and variation in elite democratic views. These findings have important implications for democratic representation in contemporary Europe.