What is representation? What does it mean when a politician represents citizens in government? How can citizens be represented beyond the boundaries of the nation-state?
These are just some of the questions which will be answered by David Runciman and Mónica Brito Vieira as they explain why representation should be understood as one of the key concepts in modern politics. The first part of the book examines the historical roots of the concept of representation, from its origins in ancient Rome through to its role in the revolutionary politics of the modern world. The second looks at different varieties of representation – in law as well as politics. The final part asks how the concept of representation can help us think creatively about current and future challenges facing the world.
Representation is too often treated as a secondary or qualifying idea – as in the phrase ‘representative democracy’. This book argues that we have this the wrong way round. Representation is the foundational idea in almost all areas of our political life. Making sense of representation in its own terms is crucial for seeing why democracy functions the way it does, and for exploring how it might function differently.
Table of Content
List of Figures and Tables vi
Preface vii
Part I The History of Representation 1
1 The Roots of Political Representation 3
2 Representation vs. Democracy 29
Part II The Logic of Representation 63
3 Representing Individuals 65
4 Representing Groups 84
Part III The Politics of Representation 121
5 Representing the State 123
6 Representation Beyond the Nation-State 149
Epilogue: Representing the Future? 182
References 193
Index 207
About the author
David Runciman is University Lecturer in Political Theory at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Mónica Brito Vieira is Research Fellow at New Hall, Cambridge.
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