Political representation

"Political representation lies at the core of modern politics. Democracies, with their vast numbers of citizens, could not operate without representative institutions. Yet relations between the democratic ideal and the everyday practice of political representation have never been well defined and remain the subject of vigorous debate among historians, political theorists, lawyers, and citizens. In this volume, an eminent group of scholars moves forward the debates about political representation on a number of fronts. Drawing on insights from political science, history, political theory, economics, and anthropology, the authors provide much-needed clarity to some of the most vexing questions about political representation. They also reveal new and enlightening perspectives on this fundamental political practice."--Jacket.

Hobbes's theory of representation : anti-democratic or proto-democratic? / David Runciman -- Participation and representation before democracy : petitions and addresses in premodern Britain / Mark Knights -- Varieties of public representation / Philip Pettit -- Representative government and popular sovereignty / Bryan Garsten -- Making interest : on representation and democratic legitimacy / Clarissa Rile Hayward -- Critical liberalism / Courtney Jung -- Settlers and natives in North America / Mahmood Mamdani -- Perverse consequences? : the impact of quotas for women on democratization in Africa / Shireen Hassim -- On quotas and qualifications for office / Andrew Rehfeld -- Electoral representation and the aristocratic thesis / John Ferejohn and Frances Rosenbluth -- Why does the Republican Party win half the votes? / John E. Roemer -- The impact of electoral debate on public opinions : an experimental investigation of the 2005 New York City mayoral election / Sendhil Mullainathan, Ebonya Washington, and Julia R. Azari -- Swing voters, core voters, and distributive politics / Gary W. Cox.