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Democracy or Oligarchy? Unequal Representation of Income Groups in European Institutions

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  • Zoe Lefkofridi

    (Department of Political Science, University of Salzburg, Austria)

  • Nathalie Giger

    (Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Geneva, Switzerland)

Abstract

In this study we examine the representation of income groups in two EU-level institutions, the Council and the European Parliament. We find that the political positions of these institutions, and especially of the Council, are always on the right compared to European citizens, though closer to the wealthy among them. However, a more systematic analysis of congruence between different income groups and the Council reveals that while the poor are systematically underrepresented, the rich are not systematically over-represented. This holds both when we examine the poor and the rich across the EU as a whole and when we cluster them according to their respective member states.

Suggested Citation

  • Zoe Lefkofridi & Nathalie Giger, 2020. "Democracy or Oligarchy? Unequal Representation of Income Groups in European Institutions," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 19-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v:8:y:2020:i:1:p:19-27
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gallego,Aina, 2015. "Unequal Political Participation Worldwide," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107023536.
    2. Zoe Lefkofridi & Alexia Katsanidou, 2018. "A Step Closer to a Transnational Party System? Competition and Coherence in the 2009 and 2014 European Parliament," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(6), pages 1462-1482, September.
    3. Zoe Lefkofridi, 2020. "Competition in the European Arena: How the Rules of the Game Help Nationalists Gain," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 41-49.
    4. Jason Beckfield, 2006. "European Integration and Income Inequality," LIS Working papers 447, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    5. Nathan J. Kelly & Peter K. Enns, 2010. "Inequality and the Dynamics of Public Opinion: The Self‐Reinforcing Link Between Economic Inequality and Mass Preferences," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(4), pages 855-870, October.
    6. Matt Golder & Jacek Stramski, 2010. "Ideological Congruence and Electoral Institutions," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 90-106, January.
    7. Johanna Kantola & Lise Rolandsen Agustín, 2019. "Gendering the Representative Work of the European Parliament: A Political Analysis of Women MEP's Perceptions of Gender Equality in Party Groups," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(4), pages 768-786, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniela Braun & Martin Gross & Berthold Rittberger, 2020. "Political Behavior in the EU Multi-Level System," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 1-5.

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