1. Parliament and Public Engagement: two sides of the same coin? Cristina Leston-Bandeira (ESRC – RES-000-22-4072) ECPRD, Parliaments on the net IX, May 2011

2. Contents Discourse of political disengagement The endless pursuit of trust The paradoxes of parliament Marrying Participatory with Representative Democracy

3. Context of discourse on political disengagement Decline vote turnout Decline in trust Political discourse of vote apathy But... Still, huge area of focus New media: first a panacea, then a must

4. Impact of internet on parliaments Internet: opening up But many challenges also One of the most exposed political institutions Questioning of legitimacy Parliament has come to symbolise political disengagement

5. A unique institution Collective Visible Accountable No single institutional voice Differing (opposing) agendas Multiplicity of audiences Temporary leaderships (vs permanent staff)

6. Some of the challenges in adopting new media Slow processes Difficult combination with technology An a-political political institution Challenge of a single corporate image and voice Personification of competing actors

7. The paradox of parliament and new media vs Personal, individual and spontaneous nature of new media Neutral, collective and slow nature of parliaments

8. Developing the paradox How to make the most of new media tools in the context of non-personal, non-immediate and ultimately a-political spaces such as parliaments? How to support the political voice of parliament? How to engage with the public in this context?

9. Developing Public Engagement Huge demand for online opening up Large investments on public engagement - namely through new media tools Development of communication/information services Great focus on citizen input Great focus on participatory democracy tools

10. Marriage between Participatory and Representative Democracy Parliament Representative Democracy Participatory Democracy

11. The perverse effects of Public Engagement Activities mainly a-political, a- personal, a-individual Public engagement becoming a product in itself Contradictory pursuit of participatory democracy Undermining of representative and political role of institution

12. Summing up - two sides of same coin? Endless pursuit of trust not entirely helpful Fine balance between: – Impartiality and Political – Accessibility and Representing – Public Engagement and The Business Looking for: – Integration of political meaning – Acceptance of Representative remit

13. Thank you Photos from respective parliaments’ websites or iStockphoto.com C.C.Leston-Bandeira@hull.ac.uk www2.hull.ac.uk/fass/managing-parliaments-image.aspx

14. But... Decline turnout not that significant (Franklin, Rose) Trust varies according to external variables (Dalton et al) Huge increase of participatory democracy Development of Critical Citizens (Norris)

15. Summing up - two sides of same coin? Endless pursuit of trust not entirely helpful Fine balance between: – Impartiality and Political – Accessibility and Representing – Public Engagement and The Business Looking for: – Integration of political meaning – Acceptance of Representative remit