Politics and Governance Open Access Journal | ISSN: 2183-2463 Volume 7, Issue 3 (2019) RethinkingRethinking Representation:Representation: RepresentativeRepresentative ClaimsClaims inin GlobalGlobal PerspectivePerspective Editors Petra Guasti and Brigitte Geissel Politics and Governance, 2019, Volume 7, Issue 3 Rethinking Representation: Representative Claims in Global Perspective Published by Cogitatio Press Rua Fialho de Almeida 14, 2º Esq., 1070-129 Lisbon Portugal Academic Editors Petra Guasti (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany) Brigitte Geissel (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany) Available online at: www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance This issue is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY). Articles may be reproduced provided that credit is given to the original andPolitics and Governance is acknowledged as the original venue of publication. Table of Contents Rethinking Representation: Representative Claims in Global Perspective Petra Guasti and Brigitte Geissel 93–97 Saward’s Concept of the Representative Claim Revisited: An Empirical Perspective Petra Guasti and Brigitte Geissel 98–111 The Redistribution of Representation through Participation: Participatory Budgeting in Chengdu and Delhi Emilie Frenkiel and Stéphanie Tawa Lama-Rewal 112–123 Defining Women’s Representation: Debates around Gender Quotas in India and France Virginie Dutoya and Yves Sintomer 124–136 A New Approach to Map and Quantify Representative Claims and Measure Their Validation: A Case Study Analysis Viola Joschko and Luis Glaser 137–151 Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil Petra Guasti and Debora Rezende de Almeida 152–164 The Radical Right versus the Media: from Media Critique to Claims of (Mis)Representation Louise Knops and Benjamin De Cleen 165–178 Political Representation in the Discourse and Practices of the “Party of the Common Man” in India Stéphanie Tawa Lama-Rewal 179–188 Anti-Corruption Movement: A Story of the Making of the Aam Admi Party and the Interplay of Political Representation in India Aheli Chowdhury 189–198 On Authoritarian Political Representation in Contemporary China Demin Duan 199–207 The Evolution of Representative Claim-Making by the Chinese Communist Party: From Mao to Xi (1949–2019) Emilie Frenkiel and Anna Shpakovskaya 208–219 Politics and Governance (ISSN: 2183–2463) 2019, Volume 7, Issue 3, Pages 93–97 DOI: 10.17645/pag.v7i3.2464 Editorial Rethinking Representation: Representative Claims in Global Perspective Petra Guasti * and Brigitte Geissel Research Unit Democratic Innovations, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt, Germany; E-mails: [email protected] (P.G.), [email protected] (B.G.) * Corresponding author Submitted: 16 September 2019 | Published: 24 September 2019 Abstract The established notion of political representation is challenged on multiple accounts—theoretically, conceptually, and empirically. The contributions to this thematic issue explore the constructivist turn as the means for rethinking political representation today around the world. The articles included here seek to reconsider representation by theoretically and empirically reassessing how representation is conceptualized, claimed and performed—in Western and non-Western con- texts. In recognition that democratic representation in Western countries is in a process of fundamental transformation and that non-Western countries no longer aim at replicating established Western models, we look for representation around the world—specifically in: Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, China, and India. This enables us to advance the study of representative democracy from a global perspective. We show the limits and gaps in the constructivist literature and the benefits of theory-driven empirical research. Finally, we provide conceptual tools and frameworks for the (comparative) study of claims of representation. Keywords constructivist turn; democracy; representation; representative claim Issue This article is part of the issue “Rethinking Representation: Representative Claims in Global Perspective”, edited by Petra Guasti (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany) and Brigitte Geissel (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany). © 2019 by the authors; licensee Cogitatio (Lisbon, Portugal). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribu- tion 4.0 International License (CC BY). 1. Introduction process of representation—and the understand- ing of representation as a performative process Representation is at the core of the contemporary re- (Castiglione & Pollak, 2019; Disch, van de Sande, configuration of the political landscape. Increasingly new & Urbinati, 2019; Urbinati, 2006); actors assert their place in the political arena and the (2) Conceptually, the Western-centric notion of elec- established notion of political representation is chal- tions as the core authorization mechanism in po- lenged on multiple accounts—theoretically, conceptually litical representation is challenged on several ac- and empirically: counts. Political action cannot be reduced to vot- ing, and representation cannot be reduced to ‘act- (1) Theoretically, since the 1990s, the constructivist ing in the name of the people’ (Sintomer, 2013; see turn critically assessed and rejected the underlying also Manin, 1997). Constructivist scholars call for assumptions of the traditional ‘mandate model’ broadening of the notion of representation to in- of representation. It brought to the fore symbolic clude other (also non-Western) forms of represen- and constitutive elements of political representa- tation; recasting the conceptualizations of the rep- tion. The central tenants of the constructivist turn resentative, the represented and the defining fea- are the constitutive power of representation— ture of the linkage between the two (cf. Guasti & political actors and identities are constituted in the Geissel, 2019; Montanaro, 2017); Politics and Governance, 2019, Volume 7, Issue 3, Pages 93–97 93 (3) Empirically, constructivist scholars do not limit four types of claims. Second, Guasti and Geissel (2019) the study of representation to the traditional are- provide a framework for examining the mechanisms of nas and actors—parliaments and political parties. acceptance for the different claim types. Third, the au- Instead, they focus on the multitude of actors— thors apply both frameworks to a real-life case of repre- both elective and non-elective—generating a ca- sentation of non-citizens on a municipal level. Their in- cophony of representative claims. (Dryzek & depth qualitative analysis of claim-making, acceptance, Niemeyer, 2008; Kuyper, 2016; Montanaro, 2012, and rejection showcases the potential of systemizing cur- 2017; Severs, 2010, 2012; Vieira, 2017). rent claims on representation and provides new insights into mechanisms of acceptance and rejection. The contributions to this thematic issue explore the con- Based on their comparative study of participatory structivist turn as the means for rethinking political rep- budgeting in Chengdu (China) and Delhi (India), Frenkiel resentation today around the world. The articles seek to and Tawa Lama-Rewal (2019) propose a redistribu- conceptually refine representation by theoretically and tive relationship that challenges two existing relation- empirically reassessing what representation is and what ships between representation and participation. The ar- it does in Western and non-Western contexts. The point ticle demonstrates the transformative role of participa- of departure for this thematic issue is the critical ap- tory budgeting, which through participation constitutes praisal of the central concept of the constructivist turn— new representative roles. The comparison of participa- the representative claim. Following Saward (2010, 2014) tory budgeting processes in Chengdu (China) and Delhi and Disch (2015), we define representation as a process (India) underscores both their potentials and pitfalls. of making, accepting, or rejecting representative claims. Participatory budgeting can transform political represen- The articles in this thematic issue provide crucial tation and redistribute power, but it can also be used conceptual and empirical insights about representation to strengthen existing hierarchies. The authors see par- and its role in a global perspective. The authors focus ticipatory budgeting as an arena, where political rep- on how different political actors (political parties, civil resentation is redefined, the legitimacy of traditional society) within different institutional settings (represen- representatives is challenged, and new representative tative, participative and deliberative bodies), contexts claims emerge. (democratic, authoritarian), legacies, across countries, By investigating gender quota debates in India and and levels of governance conceptualize and perform rep- France Dutoya and Sintomer (2019) generate novel resentation. We also show the limits of and gaps in insights into the nature of representation. Analyzing the constructivist literature and the benefits of theory- discourses and frames on women’s representation in driven empirical research. Finally, we provide concep- Western and non-Western contexts, they highlight both tual tools and frameworks for the (comparative) study of the transversal and country-specific conceptions of po- claim-making. litical representation of (gender) difference. In France, This thematic issue seeks to capture and compare the the proponents of gender