Olivier Costa is CNRS Research Professor at the Centre Emile Durkheim (Sciences Po Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux). He is also Director of Political and Administrative Studies at the College of Europe (Bruges Campus). His key research areas include French Parliament, European Parliament, comparative legislative politics and EU policy-making and policies.

• 1. Introduction: Parliamentary Representation in France 2. Why do French MPs Focus More on Constituency Work than on Parliamentary Work? 3. Up and Down, Old and New: Values and Value Systems of MPs and Voters in France 4. From Theory to Practice: Citizens’ Attitudes about Representation in France 5. Wisdom or Indifference? The Principles of Representative Government in the Eyes of the French Voters 6. French MPs and Law-making: Deputies’ Activities and Citizens’ Perceptions 7. MPs’ Issue Attention in Parliament: Evidence of a Stick–Slip Process of Attention Allocation in the French National Assembly 8. The French Constitutional Law of 23 July 2008 as seen by MPs: Working or Talking Parliament? 9. Conclusion: Challenging the Conventional Wisdoms about Parliamentary Representation in France

Olivier Costa is CNRS Research Professor at the Centre Emile Durkheim (Sciences Po Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux). He is also Director of Political and Administrative Studies at the College of Europe (Bruges Campus). His key research areas include French Parliament, European Parliament, comparative legislative politics and EU policy-making and policies.

• 1. Introduction: Parliamentary Representation in France 2. Why do French MPs Focus More on Constituency Work than on Parliamentary Work? 3. Up and Down, Old and New: Values and Value Systems of MPs and Voters in France 4. From Theory to Practice: Citizens’ Attitudes about Representation in France 5. Wisdom or Indifference? The Principles of Representative Government in the Eyes of the French Voters 6. French MPs and Law-making: Deputies’ Activities and Citizens’ Perceptions 7. MPs’ Issue Attention in Parliament: Evidence of a Stick–Slip Process of Attention Allocation in the French National Assembly 8. The French Constitutional Law of 23 July 2008 as seen by MPs: Working or Talking Parliament? 9. Conclusion: Challenging the Conventional Wisdoms about Parliamentary Representation in France

Olivier Costa is CNRS Research Professor at the Centre Emile Durkheim (Sciences Po Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux). He is also Director of Political and Administrative Studies at the College of Europe (Bruges Campus). His key research areas include French Parliament, European Parliament, comparative legislative politics and EU policy-making and policies.

• 1. Introduction: Parliamentary Representation in France 2. Why do French MPs Focus More on Constituency Work than on Parliamentary Work? 3. Up and Down, Old and New: Values and Value Systems of MPs and Voters in France 4. From Theory to Practice: Citizens’ Attitudes about Representation in France 5. Wisdom or Indifference? The Principles of Representative Government in the Eyes of the French Voters 6. French MPs and Law-making: Deputies’ Activities and Citizens’ Perceptions 7. MPs’ Issue Attention in Parliament: Evidence of a Stick–Slip Process of Attention Allocation in the French National Assembly 8. The French Constitutional Law of 23 July 2008 as seen by MPs: Working or Talking Parliament? 9. Conclusion: Challenging the Conventional Wisdoms about Parliamentary Representation in France