Representation

Question 1

Define “electoral claim”

Define electoral representation

Answer 1

Representative claims arising from free and fair elections.
Electoral representation holds that someone stands for, speaks for or acts for another being, authorised to so by elections.

Question 2

Who is the author associated with Representation ?

Answer 2

Michael Saward

Question 3

How should we view political representation?

Answer 3

Representative claim; view as economy of claim-making rather as a fact resulting from free and fair election.

Question 4

Why should we view political representation as a claim?

Answer 4

none of us is ever fully represented - representation of our interests/ identities is always incomplete.

Question 5

What is negative about elections?

Answer 5

They restrict nature and range of representative perspectives and voices, so can be democratically troubling.

Question 6

Representation is a claim not a…

Answer 6

fact nor possession

Question 7

What does a representative claim consist of (subject ect..)

Answer 7

A subject stands for an object (MP stands for a constituency) and someone makes the claim; a Maker.

Question 8

What actually is representation

Answer 8

Someone standing for or speaking for someone else.

Question 9

What is a referent ?

Answer 9

The thing represented is an idea, not the thing itself, the latter is better called a Referent.

Question 10

What does the audience do?

Answer 10

receives the claims and accepts/rejects or ignores them.

Question 11

Be aware of the limits of elective representation?
1st Weakness
(Choice and consent)

Answer 11

Instituted; we can only choose politicians but we cannot choose to have politicians who will not participate within compromises of electoral game.
Limited choice, only select candidates from parties and the parties choose the leaders.

Question 12

Be aware of the limits of elective representation?
2nd Weakness
(Identification)

Answer 12

Elected politicians highlight particular aspects of constituents/downplay others.
Our interests; constantly evolving/changing, elected politicians always misrepresenting us.
captive constituency; all citizens require formal representation, structured into electoral districts. we are only represented in terms of geographical constituency.
limits.

Question 13

Be aware of the limits of elective representation?
3rd weakness
(All- affectedness and unity)

Answer 13

One to All; One state to All citizens.
symbolic architecture; all legislature under 1 roof.
mismatch; permanence of unity, government always meant to represent the people as a whole (collective) but people feel alienated/not part of unit.
not fixed interests/identity
FPTP, voting level low, and non enfranchised interest means we are not ONE in representation yet they pretend to be.

Question 14

Be aware of the limits of elective representation?
4th Weakness
(Control and Accountability)

Answer 14

Often parties choose candidates.
Key choices made before citizens vote.
Thin accountability; The idea of elections is electorate holding the candidates to account but in fact leaders are more accountable to the party and party whip. Difference between membership and electorate.

Question 15

Be aware of the strengths of non elective representation?
1st strength
(Choice and Consent)

Answer 15

INSTITUTING: outside elections, offers more fine-grained multiple, issue specific choices between elections.

Question 16

Be aware of the strengths of non elective representation?
2nd Strength
(Identification)

Answer 16

b. CONTINUOUS constant, evolving sense of us over time as free from elections that only happen every 5 years.
PARTIAL; May be explicitly partial; enable identification in terms of non-party and partial citizen identities.
Can represent them on certain issues that they specifically care about, just a part of their identity.

Question 17

Be aware of the strengths of non elective representation?
3rd strength
(All-affectedness and Unity)

Answer 17

c. TEMPORARY; may represent according to circumstances and only for as long as required, ‘oneness’ is permanent, permanent will, wants, interests. (doesn’t exist in real life)

Question 18

Be aware of the strengths of non elective representation

Answer 18

D. NEW FORMS: giving voice to the affected by opening up new lines and styles of representation, more sensitive to intensity of preference and lived experiences.

Question 19

Be aware of the strengths of non elective representation

Answer 19

e. TRANSNATIONAL; beyond territorially defied interests.

- not challenged by the borders of nations, speak for range of different countries.

Question 20

Be aware of the strengths of non elective representation

Answer 20

EXPLICIT: must work harder to make their claims convincing because can’t rely on symbolic architecture of our system, do not have a permanent audience, have to invoke an audience for their claims.
more varied forms of accountability via governance networks and deliberative devices.

Question 21

Describe types of non elective representation claims (List the summary headings and the more descriptive ones underneath)

Answer 21

1. “Deeper roots”;
   - Deep group morality and ties of tradition,
   - Hypothetical Consent
2. “Expertise and Special Credentials”
3. “Wider Interests and New Voices”
   - Surrogacy for wider interests
   - The word from the street
   - Mirroring
   - Stake holding
   - Extraterritorial rules and laws
   - Self-representation

Question 22

Distinguish between Authorisation and Authenticity? (the principles)

Answer 22

This is tricky part, so look more into this, but these are the key principles, authorisation goes with electoral voting because through voting “authorises” whereas, authenticity with non electoral voting, someone can be more authentic representative because they are not unelected.

Question 23

The criteria spans the principles; What principle is associated with Authorisation?

Answer 23

Connecting
claimant occupying an appropriate position in the line of democratic delegation.
it the claim acceptable because its embedded in larger democratic system.
Locked into Networks? tight network of organisation ties.

Question 24

What principle is associated with Authenticity?

Answer 24

Untaintedness
untainted by formal election process
untainted by virtue of disconnection from state apparatus.