Political Representation

In: Raisons politiques: études de pensée politique, Volume 2, Issue 50, p. 35-51

Abstract

Representing in a substantive sense means acting in the interest of the represented, in a manner responsive to their wishes. This can be imagined and done in several ways, but the representative should never he an independent expert or a mere commissioner. At the political level, this definition of representation has several implications. First, the representative is neither his constituency's agent nor a national leader without local link: it is the interaction between local representatives that allows the creation of a national interest. Second, political representation is not an individual characteristic, but a feature of the system, which has to allow responsiveness. Finally, the diversity of valid views about representation does not imply that any government is representative: in order to speak about a government as representative, it must institutionalize its responsiveness to the people, primarily through free elections. However, this institutionalization is not enough: one must also keep in mind the ideal of representation in order to judge and continuously reform the institutions of representation. Adapted from the source document.