The Meaning of Representation

Abstract

The concept of representation is a familiar concept of everyday life which is used not only in both political and non-political situations but also in a variety of ways. When people speak of a representative sample they are not using the term ‘representative’ in quite the same way as they are when they speak of a sales representative or a legal representative. When they talk of an elected representative or a system of representative government the connotations of the term are different again. There may be some common element in these usages, but any exploration of the concept of representation must start by acknowledging that the concept is far from simple.