Available, accessible and ready to listen: MPs’ district work

Résumé :

To understand parliamentary representation, it is necessary to look both at work in parliament and at MPs’ activities in their constituency. In France and Germany, the district is important for four main reasons: candidates are nominated there, MPs are elected, districts play a role in political decision-making and provide a forum for political communication. However, there is considerable variety in the details, leading to different incentives for MPs in the two countries. Accordingly, expectations about MP behavior are checked with empirical data from CITREP observations and interviews. This shows that, in their district work, German MPs act as information seekers with a clear focus on party work, while French MPs act more like political entrepreneurs who are strongly influenced by their “cumul des mandats”.