The value of ‘between-election’ political participation: Do parliamentary e-petitions matter to political elites?

Felicity Matthews

doi:10.1177/1369148120959041

Abstract

Responding to the crisis of democracy, legislatures worldwide are developing new participatory mechanisms to promote parliamentary engagement and provide additional opportunities for citizens to influence policymaking. Yet despite the prevalence of such initiatives, little is known about whether political elites are receptive to public input. This article addresses this important gap, presenting original research that examines the e-petition system in the United Kingdom’s national legislature. It demonstrates significant apathy – on occasion, antipathy – on the part of Westminster’s elected MPs. In particular, it reveals concerns that parliamentary e-petitions risk undermining the relationship between MPs and their constituents; inundating the parliamentary agenda with immediate, but not necessarily important, issues; and exacerbating misunderstandings of the parliamentary process. More broadly, political elites remain sceptical about the capacity of parliamentary e-petitions to address the democratic divide, with a widespread sense that e-petitions often amplify the voices of those who already shout the loudest.

Highlights

Responding to what is widely regarded as a crisis of democracy (e.g. Dalton, 2004; Norris, 2011), legislatures worldwide are developing new participatory mechanisms to promote greater engagement with representative institutions and to provide additional opportunities for citizens to influence policymaking
This article directly addresses this important gap by examining the extent that political elites engage with and value new forms of ‘between-election’ political participation and presents the results of original research examining the jointly owned e-petition system of the UK House of Commons and HM Government
This research shifts the analytical focus from the experience of petitioners to the perceptions of parliament’s political elites, and through a series of interviews and surveys conducted with MPs and parliamentary officials at Westminster between 2018 and 2019, it provides key insights concerning the ‘value’ ascribed to e-petitions

Summary

Introduction

Responding to what is widely regarded as a crisis of democracy (e.g. Dalton, 2004; Norris, 2011), legislatures worldwide are developing new participatory mechanisms to promote greater engagement with representative institutions and to provide additional opportunities for citizens to influence policymaking. The research findings temper the optimism often associated with such initiatives, with important concerns expressed regarding the quality of democratic engagement and of the capacity of parliamentary e-petitions to provide a voice for the less vocal and more marginalised groups in society.

Results

Conclusion