# REPGOV (Representative Government) ## Basic Info **Name:** REPGOV **What is it:** A research initiative studying how administrative discretion shapes and conveys the values of representative governments. **Who is involved:** Funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program (Grant Agreement No. 101020966). **Location:** European Union (Headquartered via [email protected]). **Link:** [repgov.eu](https://repgov.eu/) --- ## Entries **[[2026-02-15]]**: The **REPGOV** project operates on the fundamental hypothesis that public administration structures do not just implement laws, but actively reinforce the values of the representative governments they serve by shaping the attitudes of both administrators and the public. The researchers focus on "value trade-offs at the margin of administrative discretion", examining how officials use their own judgment to handle dilemmas such as freedom of expression versus public order (e.g., erasing political graffiti) or procedural fairness versus efficiency in municipal offices. By studying these micro-level interactions, REPGOV aims to understand if and how public administration can make democracy function more effectively.