The Politics Of Presence (Oxford Political Theory)

The Politics of Presence (Oxford Political Theory)

Review"The strength of Phillip's book lies in its ability to theorize the political in an empirically and historically informed manner."--Choice"It would be a pity if the title of this book caused it to be overlooked, for there is much to stimulate thought and ideas within its pages."--Talking PoliticsOne of the most hotly-contested debates in contemporary democracy revolves around issues of political presence, and whether the fair representation of disadvantaged groups requires their presence in elected assemblies. Representation as currently understood derives its legitimacy from apolitics of ideas, which considers accountability in relation to declared policies and programs, and makes it a matter of relative indifference who articulates political preferences or beliefs. What happens to the meaning of representation and accountability when we make the gender or ethniccomposition of elected assemblies an additional area of concern? In this innovative contribution to the theory of representation--which draws upon debates about gender quotas in Europe, minority voting rights in the USA, and the multi-layered politics of inclusion in Canada--the author argues thatthe politics of ideas is an inadequate vehicle for dealing with political exclusion. But eschewing any essentialist grounding to group identity or group interest, she also argues against either/or choice between ideas and political presence. The work then combines with contemporary explorations ofdeliberative democracy to establish a different balance between accountability and autonomy.About the AuthorAnne Phillips is Professor of Politics at London Guildhall University.