Introduction: The Problem Is Representation! Towards an Analytical Framework

Abstract

The point of departure in this book is that the current stagnation of democracy in the post-colonial world is due to the depoliticisation of important public issues and interests. Major public concerns have become matters of technocratic governance or privatised to the market as well as communal, patronage, and privileged citizens’ networks. The introductory chapter argues that the root-cause is flawed representation: flawed representation emanating from both elitist institution building and fragmented citizen participation. Hence, a case is made for the need to rethink popular representation and develop methods that are more democratic. An analytical framework is outlined to that end. This framework draws on the insights from the subsequent chapters, in the context of the wider discourse. These chapters in turn focus on critical theoretical issues and empirical experiences in comparative perspective.¹