On the Legitimacy of Democratic Representation: Two Case Studies from Europe

What is it about?

Prato analyses the legitimacy of political representation and processes of political change in Italy and Albania. Her ethnographically detailed discussion shows how the mediatory role of political parties may corrupt the democratic system. Key elements in Prato’s analysis are the rulers’ ethics of responsibility, different forms of opposition to party rule, conflicting sources of legitimacy and processes of legitimation in contemporary democracy. The author draws on a comparative study of two European case studies to ask to what extent legitimacy is linked to public accountability and trust beyond the strictly legal dimension; she argues that accountability in the political field cannot be separated from integrity, intended as a system of values that carries significant expectations of people’s behaviour.

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