### Representation & Democracy Satisfaction Gap
This study examines how alignment or misalignment of citizens' policy preferences with elite decision-making affects perceptions of democratic quality.
#### Data & Methods
Using survey data from the American National Election Studies alongside experimental analysis, we track satisfaction metrics across different congruence scenarios.
### Key Findings: The Congruence Effect
* Citizens report significantly higher satisfaction when their policy preferences align with elite decisions.
* This perception gap is most pronounced among politically engaged citizens.
#### Implications
Understanding this relationship provides crucial insights into democratic stability and representation theory.
| The Quality of Representation and Satisfaction With Democracy: The Consequences of Citizen-Elite Policy and Process Congruence was authored by Audrey André and Sam Depauw. It was published by Springer in Pol. Behav. in 2017. |
