Why symbolic representation frames parliamentary public engagement

Abstract

Research Highlights and Abstract The UK Parliament’s activity in public engagement has recently expanded considerably. Faced with declining levels of trust, it has invested considerable time and resources to new activities focusing specifically on engagement: educational resources and cultural events among many others. This embodies a new role for parliament of increasing importance particularly in the context of the 21st-century parliament. But it is an area that still requires further study, as we know little about the role performed by parliamentary public engagement. This article explores the institution’s aims in developing public engagement and reflects on the extent to which this embodies elements of symbolic representation. We utilise different theories on representation to develop a framework to understand the role played by public engagement in the 21st-century context. We then employ this perspective to analyse the aims and characteristics of public engagement activity in the UK Parliament. Besides a normative reflection on representation and engagement, our article is based on qualitative research which included elite in-depth interviews with parliamentary officials complemented by documentary analysis. Our research shows that public engagement planning in the UK Parliament aims to develop among the public a sense of connectivity that relies on more collective and symbolic forms of representation, which seek to present the institution detached from its actors and politics. The UK Parliament’s activity in public engagement has recently expanded considerably. Faced with declining levels of trust, it has invested considerable time and resources to new activities focusing specifically on engagement: educational resources and cultural events among many others. This embodies a new role for parliament of increasing importance particularly in the context of the 21st-century parliament. This article analyses the aims of public engagement and its consequences for representation. We explore the potential representative role of public engagement, identifying key changes that have affected the relationship between public and parliament. We utilise evidence from documentary analysis and elite in-depth interviews with parliamentary officials to show that public engagement planning aims to develop among the public a sense of connectivity that relies on more collective and symbolic forms of representation, which seek to present the institution detached from its actors and politics. We utilise constructivist representation theories to support our analysis.