Constituency Service in Iceland and the Importance of the Centre–Periphery Divide

Abstract

In this paper, we explore how Icelandic members of parliament (MPs) provide services to their constituencies. Using Icelandic candidate survey data and interviews with former Icelandic MPs, we found clear differences in how the capital city MPs and peripheral MPs approached and provided services to their constituents. Peripheral MPs described providing individual constituent services and actively defending their constituents’ interests in their parliament as part of their role. On the other hand, MPs from the Reykjavik area were more likely to view their role from a broader and more national perspective.