ABSTRACT
Hanna Pitkin’s 1967 book The Concept of Representation is a foundational book for many political scientists. A key point that she makes is that there are many different kinds of representation, with different functions and expectations. Representation typically involves some principal (whether an individual or group, or other thing), and an agent (the representative). Representation may be formal (with authorization and accountability), symbolic, descriptive (resemblance), or substantive (action taken). Electoral representation is primarily concerned with the formal and substantive aspects. The proper role of an elected politician has been a topic of debate for centuries, and that role remains ambiguous today.
