These are just some of the questions which will be answered by David Runciman and Mónica Brito Vieira as they explain why representation should be understood as one of the key concepts in modern politics. The first part of the book examines the historical roots of the concept of representation, from its origins in ancient Rome through to its role in the revolutionary politics of the modern world. The second looks at different varieties of representation in law as well as politics. The final part asks how the concept of representation can help us think creatively about current and future challenges facing the world.

Representation is too often treated as a secondary or qualifying idea as in the phrase representative democracy. This book argues that we have this the wrong way round. Representation is the foundational idea in almost all areas of our political life. Making sense of representation in its own terms is crucial for seeing why democracy functions the way it does, and for exploring how it might function differently.

Mónica Brito Vieira is Research Fellow at New Hall, Cambridge.

List of Figures and Tables vi

Preface vii

Part I The History of Representation 1

1 The Roots of Political Representation 3

2 Representation vs. Democracy 29

Part II The Logic of Representation 63

3 Representing Individuals 65

4 Representing Groups 84

Part III The Politics of Representation 121

5 Representing the State 123

6 Representation Beyond the Nation-State 149

Epilogue: Representing the Future? 182

References 193

Index 207