Descriptive Representation: The Implications Of Representation In Democracy

Representation is the idea of bringing into presence something that previously was absent. Though this broad definition originated with the ancient Greeks, representation as the political concept known today dates back to the Middle Ages (Uneasy Alliance). In the political sense, representation is the core of democracy and is “the notion that every citizen’s preferences should count equally” (Unequal Democracy). Being properly represented in government and the political realm is key to achieving equality and fulfilling the Constitutional principle of democracy. While this notion is fair in theory, many disadvantaged groups, such as women and the poor, have less influence and representation than their more privileged counterparts in practice.

Descriptive representation is the idea that a representative body accurately resembles what it represents. Proponents of this type of representation argue that true representation “requires that the legislature be so selected that its composition corresponds accurately to that of the whole nation” and that the legislature should “mirror the people, the state of public consciousness, or the movement of social and economic forces in the nation” (Pitkin, Chapter 4). Conversely, symbolic representation focuses on appealing to the opinions of constituents, concentrating on how much constituents believe in what is representing them rather than accurately reflecting their likeness (Chapter 5). For symbolic representation, being a representative means “being believed in or accepted as a symbol of the nation by the represented” (Chapter 5). While these two types of representation do not complete the entire picture, they offer a broad overview of the

Politically, representation is a foundational principle in which all citizen’s preferences are considered equally. However, disadvantaged and minority groups are not accurately represented in our government, which causes many issues, such as childcare, family planning, and welfare reform, to not be adequately addressed. It is critical that minorities have a seat at the table when it comes to policy debate in order to express their unique experiences and viewpoints. As a system comes closer to meeting the normative criteria for democratic aggregation and liberation, the more that system is normatively