The Hidden Constitutions: How Informal Political Institutions Affect the Representation Style of Local Councils

The constitutional setting of a political system determines the division of power between institutions and positions, and regulates the interaction of political actors. Politicians form their notions of democracy and interpret their roles as elected representatives in relation to the institutions that regulate their practice. However, considerable parts of the constitutional framework are not written down or formalised. Instead, informal institutions regulate political practice. This is especially the case in European local government, where local informal rules create a great variation in practice within formal municipal systems. In a comparative study of 428 municipalities in 15 countries, this article identifies a number of indicators for such informal institutions - the hidden constitutions of European local government. The results show that informal institutions affect the representation style of local councils to at least the same degree as formal institutions. For example, municipalities with an elitist power structure tend to strengthen the ideal of party loyalty among councillors.