Professionalisation of MPs’ Work

Abstract

The requirements of legislation and scrutiny on ever more complex fields of policy and under conditions of multi-level decision making, the risks of being marginalized by executives, experts and organized interests, the challenges from a citizenry that is more transparency and participation minded – all these developments seem to necessitate a growing professionalization of MPs. Simultaneously, however, citizens have become more and more sceptical towards politics as a profession. Questions that arise from these contradictions pertain to the practice of parliamentary representation as well as to the perceptions on the side of the citizens and the MPs: Is the professionalization that can be observed in the work of MPs inside parliament matched by developments of professionalization outside parliament in the constituencies? What does professionalization of representation mean in this context? Which aspects of MPs’ representational activities have become more professional? In what ways (organisation, finances, communication, etc.)? Have the attitudes of MPs towards representation changed because of perceived requirements of professionalization? What accounts for differences and similarities in the attitudes of the represented toward politics as a profession in different countries? Comparative papers on such issues are welcome as well as studies of single countries.

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