This paper adopts a multidimensional and cyclical approach to study the process of political representation. Firstly, it treats the formalistic, descriptive, symbolic, and substantive dimensions of representation as integral and interconnected parts. This is in contrast with the dominant approach that focuses on only one dimension of representation. This might have led to an empirically and theoretically underspecified account of what representation entails and when it is achieved, one that our study aims to correct. The paper, secondly, challenges studies on the relationship between representatives and the represented that have almost exclusively treated this relationship statically and with a strong focus on the representatives’ side. This paper remediates these issues by advancing an approach to political representation that treats citizens’ assessment of their multi-dimensional representation as a vital part of the cyclical and two-directional relationship between representatives and those represented.
This paper presents data from explorative focus groups where participants from a politically salient group (i.e. Muslim men and women) reflect on the representation they receive (e.g., numerical representation, policy outputs, sites where representation takes place). In later research stages, additional data will be gathered focusing on the variety of actors, modes, and sites linked to the participants’ representation. Subsequently, a second round of focus groups will allow participants to assess what is identified in the process between. This approach connects the two rounds of focus groups aiming at revealing discrepancies and similarities between pre- and post-documentation.
