(2) Effectiveness of representation

(2) Effectiveness of representation

1. Trusteeship

   • Strengths
     • Traditional form of representation
     • Trustees should act on behalf of other, using their superior knoloedge, better education or greater experience - called Burkean repersenation
       • Representative should think for themselves and use their own judgment because the mass people may not know their best interest
   • Criticisms
     • Allowing politicians to think for themselves creates "gap" between the view of ordinary citizens and the view of their representatives
       • Gap could be filled by either by a shortening of electoral terms or by the introduction of recall elections
     • The trusteeship model is largely out of date - development of party system in the 1800, scope for mp's to think is limited - free votes, back bench revolts

2. The doctrine of the mandate

   • strengths
     • It is the most influential theory of representation in modern politics
     • The winning party has a "popular" mandate of authority to carry out the polices
     • These policy are contained in election manifestos - the party carries out representation
     • This provides a clear class of party unity and party discipline
       • Politicians serve their constituents not by thinking for themselves, by remaining loyal to their and its polices
     • Mandate democracy
       • The strengh of the mandate doctrine is that it takes account of the undoubted importance in modern politics of party labels and party policises
       • In UK elections voters on most occasions vote for a party and give little or no attention to the strengths or weakness of individual candidates
   • Criticisms
     • it is based on a highly questionable model of voting behaviour
       • Little evidence voters vote rationally, basis on there manifesto
     • Voting for a party does not mean support for its entire manifesto
     • No many of forcing government to carry out their manifesto
       • "Votting winning" policies that prove to be difficult to implement in practice
     • who the mandate falls to: the party or the prime minister
       • There are a growing tendency for PM to claim a "personal mandate", on the basis of their role in leading the party to power
       • Idea of a personal mandate may simply allow PM to act however they wish
     • Formantion of the coalition governemnt means the doctrine of the mandate may become unworkable, as post-election deals are negotiated between coaltion partners, through which each party abandons certian manifesto promies

3. Descriptive representation

   • Stengths
     • Descriptive representation is basd on the idea that representatives should typify or resemble the group they claim to represent
     • This notion is embodies in the idea of a "representative cross-section", as used by market researched and opinion pollsters
     • Represnatives government would constitue a microcsm of the larger society, containing members drawn from all group and sections in society, and the numbers are proportinal to society
     • Significan concern with "under-representaion" of groups such as women..
     • The basis for this kind of represnetation is that it is neccesary for people to share the experiences of a particular group in order to be fully able to identify with its interests
       • They must have "walked in their shoes"
   • criticisms
     • If all representatives simply express the interests of the groups, represntation becomes exclusive or narow, with no one being able to defend the common good or advance a broader public interest
     • A government that is a microcosm of society would reflect that society's weaknesses as well its strengths
       • Majority of population could be apathetic, ill-informed or poorly educated
     • It is difficult to see how charateristic represnetation can be reconiled with electoral choice
       • Labour party's attempt to boost female represnetation in Parliament through all-women shortlists of parliamentary candidates was declared to be illegal under equal oppotunities legislation