Theory of Political Representation (Studies in Politics, Security and Society Book 2)

This book discusses political representation both as a political idea and a principle of law. Representation was a topic of political debates throughout the 19 th and 20 th century and the debate has intensified with today’s so-called «crisis of representation». The issue always relates to the political system in practice and this study takes into account the obvious assertion that it is impossible to imagine contemporary political systems without representation: Political representation is a principle of law and a process of correlating the political will of the representative and the represented. This book analyzes political representation, treating it both as a political idea and a principle of law. It describes the main themes and characters of the debate on political representation from the early 19th century to the present, when once again it is a pressing topic resulting from the "crisis in democracy" witnessed in the new century. Contents 6 Introduction 8 I: Axiological and Teleological Assumptions of Representation 16 II: Theoretical Concepts of Representation 48 III: Historical and Doctrinal Embodiments of Representation 82 IV: Constitutional Expression of Representation 124 V: Representation and Interests 166 Conclusion 204 Bibliography 214