The Standing Group on Government, Parliament and Representation brings together scholars dedicated to the study of legislatures and executives, and more in general to the topic of political representation. Italian political science has shed light on how the executive-legislative sub-system works in Italy, fruitfully connecting to comparative literature. Pursuing this research agenda, the Standing Group on Government, Parliament and Representation supports scholars interested in the Italian case through initiatives aiming at intensifying the cooperation among its members, disseminating the works and publications of its members, developing and maintaining relationships with scholars of the discipline outside Italy, fostering an inter-disciplinary dialogue with scholars outside the discipline on topics covered by this Standing Group, and organising specialised courses and workshops for early-career researchers.
The Standing Group promotes the study of parliaments and governments, which is crucial for understanding the functioning of any political system. In this regard, Italian scholars have traditionally focused on the career patterns of members of parliament and government, on the formal powers of the legislature and the executive, on how the executive-legislative sub-system is affected by the evolution of the party system, on legislative production and decision-making dynamics. Some recent lines of research investigate the relationships among parliament, government and the EU institutions, the budgetary policy and process, and the way politicians communicate with voters using social-media platforms.
The Standing Group also promotes research on political representation, understood in general terms. Although the role played by elected assemblies is crucial in this regard, the principles and practices of representation can also be realised through other means. For this reason, this Standing Group is open to scholars investigating representation from various theoretical perspectives.