Belgian affairs and constituent preferences for 'good constituency members'

Few studies have directly addressed constituent conceptions of the representative relationship. The assumption is that constituents have different preferences for elected representatives to be 'good constituency members' and that these preferences are plausibly related to their 'empowerment', their organizational capacity and parties' behaviour. Combining data from the 2009 PARTIREP Election Study (at the individual level) and the 2006 Local Politics Study (at the level of the local party organization) in Belgium, it is demonstrated that the representative relationship is interactive: although constituents' preferences and expectations ultimately shape the incentive structures for parties, they are in turn shaped by and large in reaction to what parties and politicians do. Acta Politica (2013) 48, 167-191. doi:10.1057/ap.2012.26; published online 28 September 2012