Intangible and Invisible Interests, Concealed Constituents and Excluded Electorates: Understanding the Politics of Absence

Political representation is about presence and absence. Yet, does advocating for ‘the poor’ mean not advocating for ‘the rich’, representing rural interests not representing urban ones, and speaking for young people neglecting the concerns of the elderly? Political scientists have solid theories and empirics on who is made present in the political process, but lack an understanding of the politics of absence – who is made absent by whom, how, when, and why? Amid an urgent crisis of representation in modern democracies, this research uncovers crucial power dynamics (who & whom?), identifies inequalities (how, when & why?) and addresses policy gaps (what to do?).
Building on the PI’s record of leading research on political representation, INCONEX fundamentally pushes the boundaries of the field: It is the first to develop a comprehensive conceptualization of representative absence. It identifies two agents of absence – representatives and citizens – and two types of absence – intentional and unintentional. Representatives can intentionally exclude groups from the electorate (e.g., migrants), but also unintentionally overlook them because their interests are intangible (e.g., future generations). Constituents may deliberately conceal themselves (e.g., ‘the rich’) or their interests remain invisible because they are unaware of their group belonging (e.g., ‘those in need’).
Methodologically, INCONEX develops and applies qualitative and computational social science techniques to map presence and absence in national and EU-level parliamentary debate over time. To understand the mechanisms that shape different representative absences, INCONEX uses in-depth interviews with members of national parliaments (MPs) and the European Parliament (MEPs), and focus groups with their constituencies. Based on this extensive data collection, the project builds a comprehensive theory of representative absence and the politics behind it – its manifestations, causes, and implications.