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Echoes and Barriers: Staff as Key Actors in the Representative Process

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Resumo:Political staffers play a central but often overlooked role in shaping the representative relationship between members of parliament (MPs) and constituents. Drawing on constructivist theories of representation and original survey data from 366 Canadian federal MP staffers and 97 MPs, this article argues that staffers act both as “echoes,” amplifying constituent concerns, and “barriers,” filtering which concerns reach elected officials. Quantitative findings reveal that 78% of MPs trust staff discretion over constituent interactions, and two-thirds of staff report primarily interacting with constituents, often influencing information MPs receive by routinely selecting, synthesizing, and prioritizing constituent concerns. By mediating access, staffers structure the everyday work of representation, showing that representation is not solely an act of elected officials but is co-constructed by staff. This article advances representation theory by demonstrating that democratic representation is a dynamic, mediated process wherein unelected staff play a crucial role.
Autores principais:Cloutier, Meagan
Assunto:Parliament of Canada; parliamentary democracy; political staff; representation
Ano:2026
País:Portugal
Tipo de documento:artigo
Tipo de acesso:unknown
Instituição associada:Cogitatio Press
Idioma:inglês
Origem:Politics and Governance

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