Illustration for EconPol Opinion 20

Is Proportional Representation a Cure for Democratic Discontent?

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Public dissatisfaction with politicians and representative democracy is widespread in Europe and should
not be taken lightly. The enduring protest of the ‘Yellow Vests’ in France is just one prominent example
of the popular view that elections regularly fail to select governments that are reliably responsive to the
preferences of a large part of the population. EconPol researcher Michael Becher (IAST, Toulouse) says resolving
this dilemma requires a value judgement.