This volume analyzes key dimensions of political representation and participation in Portugal, examining the impact of the economic crisis on the linkage between voters and elected representatives, contributing to assessing the significant changes that representative democracies have experienced and the factors that may boost their renewal. "Why Portugal did constitute an exceptional case among bailout countries during the Great Recession? This distinguished team of Portuguese political scientists provides several answers to this question, thoroughly analyzing how citizens and parliamentary representation interacted before and after the financial crisis. This book is an extraordinary example of how democracies overcome difficult crises and are able to display institutional stability, economic sustainability, and political success."