The latest issue of the world-leading political science journal, the American Political Science Review, features Professor Michael Saward’s new article ‘Shape-shifting Representation’. From the Notes from the Editors:

In the lead article to this issue, a central and fundamentally important question is addressed: How do we best conceptualize what representatives actually do? This is a key concern of democratic theory and a number of different models have been proposed. In “Shape-shifting representation”, Michael Saward proposes a new way of understanding the phenomenon. Representation doesn’t follow any one model, but is instead characterized by “shape-shifting”. The roles that representatives play shift from one time period to another, and from one theater to another. Sometimes representatives control shape-shifting to achieve their ends; sometimes new roles are thrust upon them. Moreover, Saward argues, shifting does not occur haphazardly. Rather, there are patterns that it exhibits. Saward’s argument promises to open a new and fruitful avenue for the theory of democracy and representation.

See American Political Science Review, vol. 108, issue 4, November 2014.