Political representation Facts for Kids

Political representation is how ordinary people, like you and me, have their voices heard in government. It's about making sure citizens are part of decisions that affect their lives. This happens when elected officials, called representatives, act for the good of the people they represent.

Sometimes, representatives act exactly as citizens ask them to. Other times, they use their own judgment to decide what's best. Representatives can be chosen to act for others, or they can be held responsible for their actions by the people who elected them. This idea of representation can apply to different groups of people or different areas.

Different Ways to Think About Representation
How We Group People for Representation
- Representation by Population
- Representation by Area
Different Styles of Representatives
Types of Representation in Detail
See also

Different Ways to Think About Representation

People have different ideas about what it means to be a good representative.

Being Held Accountable

One idea is that representatives should be accountable. This means citizens can check if their representative is doing a good job for them. If not, citizens can choose not to vote for them again in the next election.

Looking Like the People

Another idea is descriptive representation. This means representatives should look like the people they represent. For example, if a community has many women, they might want a woman representative. This includes things like their race, gender, or class. The idea is that someone who shares your background might better understand your needs.

Acting for the People

A very important idea is substantive representation. This means representatives should actively work for the interests of the people they represent. It's not just about looking similar, but about what they actually do for their community.

Other Views of Representation

Some experts, like Jane Mansbridge, describe other ways representatives act:

Promissory representation: Representatives are chosen based on the promises they make during election campaigns. They are judged on whether they keep these promises.
Anticipatory representation: Representatives make decisions they think voters will like in the future. They try to guess what will make people happy for the next election.
Surrogate representation: Sometimes, representatives act for people who live outside their own voting area. For example, a representative might speak up for a group of people in another state if they feel those people aren't being heard.
Gyroscopic representation: In this view, representatives use their own good judgment to decide what's best for the people they represent. They act like a compass, guiding decisions based on their own beliefs and knowledge.

How We Group People for Representation

Representation by Population

In many democratic countries, representatives are chosen based on the number of people in an area. This means that voting areas (called constituencies) have roughly the same number of voters. This is often called "one person, one vote". It ensures that everyone's vote has similar power.

Representation by Area

Sometimes, representatives are chosen based on a specific area, not just the number of people. This often happens in groups of countries, like the UN, where each country gets a say. Within a single country, this is less common and can be controversial. It might mean smaller areas have more power than their population suggests. For example, in the U.S., smaller states have more power in the Senate than they would if it were based purely on population. This is often due to historical reasons.

Different Styles of Representatives

In a representative democracy, elected officials can act in different ways. There are three main styles: delegate, trustee, and politico.

Delegate Style

A delegate is like a messenger. When elected, they are expected to speak and vote exactly as their voters want them to. They don't use their own opinions or judgments. They simply carry out the wishes of the people they represent.

Trustee Style

A trustee is someone you "entrust" with your interests. This style is different from the delegate. A trustee uses their own knowledge, experience, and judgment to make decisions. Voters trust them to do what's best, even if it's not exactly what every voter might want. They are elected to think for themselves and act wisely.

Politico Style

The politico style is a mix of both delegate and trustee. Representatives often act as a delegate on some issues, especially those their voters feel strongly about. But on other issues, they might act as a trustee, using their own judgment. This style recognizes that representatives need to be flexible.

Other Styles

Mandate style: This idea came about with modern political parties. Voters often choose a representative because of their party, not just the individual. This style suggests representatives should follow their party's plans and promises made during elections.
Resemblance style: This is similar to descriptive representation. It focuses on whether representatives truly resemble the group they claim to represent. For example, if a representative is meant to speak for working-class people, this style suggests they should also come from a working-class background. The idea is that shared experiences help representatives understand issues better.

Types of Representation in Detail

Substantive Representation

Substantive representation is when representatives' actions and opinions truly match the needs and interests of the people they represent. It's about how well their policies and decisions reflect what their voters want. For example, if voters want better schools, a representative showing substantive representation would work to improve schools. This type of representation is important because it shows that democracy is working not just during elections, but all the time.

Some experts believe that representatives should not just wait for interests to be clear. They think representatives should actively "speak for" their constituents by making claims about what their constituents need.

Descriptive Representation

Descriptive representation means that a representative's personal characteristics (like gender or ethnic group) are similar to the people they represent. The idea is that someone who shares your background might better understand your experiences and needs.

This can be helpful in a few ways:

When there's mistrust: If people don't trust their representatives, having someone who looks like them can help build communication.
When interests are unclear: Sometimes, new issues come up, and people haven't fully decided what they want. In these cases, choosing a representative who shares your characteristics can help ensure your interests are still looked after.

Some countries use quotas to ensure descriptive representation, setting aside a certain number of seats for specific groups like women or ethnic minorities. While results vary, some studies show that having women leaders can lead to policies that benefit women.

Dyadic Representation

Dyadic representation looks at how well a representative acts for the specific voting area (or "constituency") that elected them. This means a representative focuses on the needs and interests of their local community. They might work to bring projects to their area or help individual citizens with government services.

Collective Representation

Collective representation looks at whether the entire group of representatives (like a whole parliament or congress) represents the country as a whole. It's not about individual representatives and their local areas, but about how the entire government body reflects the wishes of the entire population. In countries where political parties are very strong, this often means that the party's overall goals represent the people.

Political representation facts for kids

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