Theoretical Framework

This project is about one of the basic premises of representative democracy that any re-election seeking government would be responsive to the wishes of the electorate in order to satisfy them with its performance. This premise is based on the most fundamental assumption of democratic theory that citizens reflect their preferences when they vote for the campaign of a political party among others, and in return expect their government be responsive to their preferences abiding by their campaign promises in the interim period. Hence, a government that undertakes the mandate of representation via elections is expected to be responsive to citizen preferences.

This topic is chosen to examine to what extent this theoretical expectation holds true in democratic regimes and what factors affect government responsiveness. Accordingly, the project’s findings will be critical in assessing and enhancing the practice as well as the study of democratic regimes.