Project outline: As policy outcomes are associated with a high level of uncertainty, both citizens and politicians need to deal with risk. How does this affect decision-making and accountability in representative democracy? To answer this question, the project investigates the role of risk perceptions, risk preferences, and risk behaviour of representatives and represented in the delegation process. Specifically, the project tests whether the delegation process is disturbed by a divergence in risk perceptions and preferences between principals and agents, a lack of responsiveness of representatives to the public’s risk preferences, and/or a failure of the latter to hold representatives accountable for their risk behaviour. To do so, the project draws on survey and lab experiments, complemented by a qualitative analysis of selected decision-making processes in health, social, and environmental politics.