Representation and Democratic Theory

With public confidence in representative institutions dropping to distressing levels, it is time for political theorists to turn their attention to representation, and to reconceive its normative foundations and connections to other aspects of a revived public life. With contributions from Canada's leading democratic theorists, this volume investigates theoretical and practical aspects of innovative political representation in the early 21st century. Some authors tackle problematic dimensions of representation head on, while others explore democratic participation and deliberation, multicultural pluralism, contested citizenship, and other background conditions of contemporary representation. Still others consider the challenges posed to representation by national minorities, national boundaries, multinational and federal governance, and cultural and social obstacles to either individual or group autonomy. the beginning of the 21st century, and demonstrates how normatively addressing the problem of representation crystallizes and illuminates debates over the nature of justice, equality, citizenship and deliberation in contemporary democratic politics. A crucial supplement to empirical studies of conventional political representation, Representation and Democratic Theory offers a timely and thought-provoking contribution to contemporary democratic theory. It will be a necessary and welcome addition to the libraries of a wide range of political and social scientists. A thought-provoking collection of essays by leading political theorists that illuminates the complexity of political representation in contemporary democratic politics.