Normative-theoretical chaos, or a way of thinking of regional political elites about democracy Cover Image

Normatywno-teoretyczny chaos, czyli myślenie regionalnej elity samorządowej o demokracji
Normative-theoretical chaos, or a way of thinking of regional political elites about democracy

Author(s): Jacek Wasilewski, Michał Kotnarowski, Witold Betkiewicz
Subject(s): Politics, Public Administration, Public Law
Published by: EUROREG - Uniwersytet Warszawski, Regional Studies Association - Sekcja Polska
Keywords: regional elite; participatory democracy; elitist democracy; political representation; direct democracy; elite integration

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on the beliefs of the regional political elites in Poland about the models of democracy, operationalised as opinions about political representation, direct democracy and elite integration. The empirical basis is a questionnaire survey of 400 members of regional political elites carried out in 2017. The sample consists of 400 councillors of the 2014-2018 term of regional (voivodship) assemblies and town councils of big cities. The data show that an incoherence of views characterises the regional political elite: they do not form a more general vision of the democratic process, and detailed opinions on representation, direct democracy and elite integration poorly correlate with independent variables, including those describing political affiliations, i.e. party affinity or location on the left-right scale. The primary explanation for this incoherent image is the thesis about the lack of professionalisation of the regional elite.

  • Issue Year: 20/2019
  • Issue No: 76
  • Page Range: 19-44
  • Page Count: 26
  • Language: English, Polish