Research Handbook on Political Representation

Elgar Handbooks in Political Science

Edited by Maurizio Cotta, Senior Professor, University of Siena and Federico Russo, Associate Professor, University of Salento, Italy

At a time when political representation can be said to be facing its ultimate crisis, this crucial work clarifies the terms of the debate, providing an up-to date analysis of the main conceptual and institutional controversies that have arisen surrounding this topic. Written by leading scholars in the field, contributions focus on how representation is conceptualised and its relation to democracy.

‘Representation, which is at the heart of our system of liberal democracy, frames a series of key questions including: who are our representatives, who are they representing, how they represent, and how that process evolves over time. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the key theories and main forms of representation, the varying institutional contexts, and the various ways the concept can be measured and assessed. This Handbook promises to be the definitive study of this subject.’
——大卫·法雷尔,都柏林大学, Ireland