Does it matter who governs? On the link between descriptive and substantive representation

Abstract

In Pitkin's classic concept of representation, substantive representation is seen as independent of descriptive representation. For her, what representatives do is more important than who they are. In recent years, however, studies have shown that “acting in the interests of the represented” can work better when disadvantaged groups are represented in parliament. While the initial focus was on women and ethnic minorities, the groups under scrutiny are now more numerous. For example, several recent articles discuss whether disabled people, workers, or members of the LGBTQ community benefit from better numerical representation and, if so, how their presence in parliament can be increased. At the same time, it is not clear how much support descriptive representation has among politicians and citizens, and whether the demand for representation of different groups is more strongly supported for some groups than for others. In this panel, we discuss the current wave of empirically driven analyses of group representation to better understand how descriptive and substantive representation interact.

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