Political Representation, Elections & Voting politics chapter 10

A process through which citizens’ interests, views, and concerns are expressed and acted upon by elected or appointed political actors on their behalf.

Delegate model – representative acts according to the explicit wishes of constituents. Trustee model – representative uses independent judgment; voters trust their discretion. Mandate model – representative follows the party platform; elected to implement a programme. Resemblance/Descriptive model – the legislature should mirror the social characteristics of society (gender, class, ethnicity).

Representatives act as mouthpieces for their constituents, conveying their exact preferences without personal judgment.

Representatives use their own expertise and judgment to make decisions in the public interest, even if voters disagree.

Representatives are bound to their party’s manifesto because voters elect parties based on policy programmes.

The idea that representative bodies should reflect the demographic and social characteristics of the population.

It can increase legitimacy, enhance trust, ensure minority voices are included, and bring lived experience into policymaking.

Mechanisms through which citizens choose political leaders or parties, allocate power, and provide authority and legitimacy to governments.

Recruitment of politicians Making governments accountable Conferring legitimacy Representation of public will Participation and civic engagement Conflict resolution through peaceful competition

Elections: choose representatives or leaders. Referendums: decide a single issue or policy directly through popular vote.

A system where the candidate or party needs a plurality or majority to win (e.g., FPTP). Usually leads to single-party government and strong constituency links.

Stable governments Clear outcomes Strong local representation Encourages broad, centrist parties

Disproportional results Wasted votes Penalizes smaller parties Can distort public opinion

An electoral system that allocates seats roughly proportional to each party’s share of the vote.

Fair representation Encourages multiparty competition Reduces wasted votes Enhances minority representation

Coalition governments → instability Weak constituency link Gives small parties disproportionate leverage

Combine majoritarian and PR elements (e.g., Germany’s Mixed Member Proportional). Designed to balance fairness and strong local representation.

Sociological: class, ethnicity, religion, region Party identification: long-term loyalty Issues and policies: valence and positional issues Leaders & campaigns: short-term influences Media & social media

Issues where most voters agree on the goal (e.g., economic growth), so parties compete on competence rather than ideology.

Issues where voters are divided and parties take different ideological stances (e.g., immigration, abortion).

The degree to which voters switch party preferences between elections due to weakening party loyalties.

Any activity intended to influence political decisions — voting, campaigning, protesting, donating, contacting officials.

Apathy Distrust in politicians Weaker party identification Youth disengagement Complex political issues Satisfaction with status quo (apathetic support)

A system where citizens are legally required to vote, with penalties for abstention (e.g., Australia). Aimed at boosting turnout and legitimacy.