While efforts have been made to increase the status of the European Parliament, it is in some respects a failure as representative body. This book analyses the effects of electoral systems on the representative activities of elected parliamentary representatives. It is useful for comparative legislative studies scholars and electoral specialists.

Drawing on public opinion data, surveys of MEPs and considerable qualitative interview evidence, we show that the failure of parliamentary representation in the EU has a strong foundation in electoral institutions.

Preface and Acknowledgements
1. Introduction: representing Europe's citizens?
2. Giving the people what they want to hear: public attitudes to representation in the EU
3. Electoral institutions and political representation
4. Representation and electoral systems in Europe
5. Representation in Europe: the institutions and the individuals
6. Electoral institutions and geographical representation
7. Electoral reform and the British MEP
8. Life under list: representing a region
9. Conclusion: the failure of parliamentary representation in Europe
Appendices
Bibliography