This article presents two complementary datasets mapping the Italian political class: a census-style dataset of individual-level characteristics for more than 20,000 elected representatives across levels of government, and a large survey of sitting politicians’ attitudes collected between September 2020 and January 2021. The combined resource aims to support research on democratic representation by documenting who holds office in Italy and how those officeholders view elections, participation, public opinion and policy issues.
Census of >20,000 representatives, Survey of 2,134 elected politicians, Covers local to European levels
Data and methods
The project supplies two data products described in the abstract: (a) census data capturing a broad spectrum of individual-level variables for more than 20,000 Italian elected officials; and (b) survey data from 2,134 elected politicians interviewed between September 2020 and January 2021, with respondents from local (n = 1,917), regional (n = 128), national (n = 75) and European (n = 14) levels. The abstract does not report sampling margins, response rates, questionnaire instruments, or analytic procedures beyond these counts and coverage.
Main findings
The abstract frames the datasets as an updated mapping of characteristics and as one of the largest surveys of Italian political elites, positioning the resources for study of democratic representation. It does not present empirical results, statistical estimates, causal claims or substantive conclusions about politicians’ attitudes; users must consult the datasets and accompanying documentation for analytic details and findings.
- Dataset A: census-style individual-level variables on >20,000 elected politicians.
- Dataset B: survey interviews with 2,134 elected politicians across local, regional, national and European levels.
Using the resource
Researchers interested in descriptive profiling, comparative study of elected elites, or analyses linking representative characteristics to attitudes can use the two files together, subject to the documentation provided with the releases. The abstract signals broad topical coverage in the survey (e.g., elections, participation, public opinion, national and international policy issues, and views of political representation) but leaves measurement detail to the dataset documentation.
