Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Guasti, Petra
Data de Publicação: 2019
Outros Autores: Almeida, Debora Rezende de
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v7i3.2143
Resumo: The system of representative democracy is under considerable strain. Its institutions are struggling to maintain legitimacy, and its elected representatives are failing to keep their monopoly on (formal) political representation. An emerging multitude of (new) claim makers contests the authority of elected representatives as well as the functioning of the existing system of representative democracy by alleging misrepresentation. In this article, we identify a significant shortcoming in Saward’s claims-making approach; specifically, we argue that it offers little direction in addressing misrepresentation. We distinguish between claims of representation and claims of misrepresentation, and show how the latter can fulfill one, two or all three of the following functions: (1) they appeal to an enemy/antagonist (strategy), (2) identify causes of misrepresentation related to policies, politics, and polity (persuasion), and (3) claim to create a new linkage to “the people”, sometimes present themselves as new representatives (reframing). To test this proposed framework, we compare claims of misrepresentation in Brazil made by civil society groups (before and during the presidential impeachment between 2014 and 2016) and in Germany (focusing on the parliamentarians of the Alternative for Germany during the first six months of mandate). Our results suggest that claims of misrepresentation are not intrinsically democratic or undemocratic, but are instead ambiguous, have different manifestations and disparate impacts on the representative system. Our article contributes to the conceptual development of the claims approach and to further understanding several critical and current challenges to representative democracy.
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spelling Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and BrazilBrazil; democracy; Germany; misrepresentation; populism; representation; representative claimsThe system of representative democracy is under considerable strain. Its institutions are struggling to maintain legitimacy, and its elected representatives are failing to keep their monopoly on (formal) political representation. An emerging multitude of (new) claim makers contests the authority of elected representatives as well as the functioning of the existing system of representative democracy by alleging misrepresentation. In this article, we identify a significant shortcoming in Saward’s claims-making approach; specifically, we argue that it offers little direction in addressing misrepresentation. We distinguish between claims of representation and claims of misrepresentation, and show how the latter can fulfill one, two or all three of the following functions: (1) they appeal to an enemy/antagonist (strategy), (2) identify causes of misrepresentation related to policies, politics, and polity (persuasion), and (3) claim to create a new linkage to “the people”, sometimes present themselves as new representatives (reframing). To test this proposed framework, we compare claims of misrepresentation in Brazil made by civil society groups (before and during the presidential impeachment between 2014 and 2016) and in Germany (focusing on the parliamentarians of the Alternative for Germany during the first six months of mandate). Our results suggest that claims of misrepresentation are not intrinsically democratic or undemocratic, but are instead ambiguous, have different manifestations and disparate impacts on the representative system. Our article contributes to the conceptual development of the claims approach and to further understanding several critical and current challenges to representative democracy.Cogitatio2019-09-24info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v7i3.2143oai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/2143Politics and Governance; Vol 7, No 3 (2019): Rethinking Representation: Representative Claims in Global Perspective; 152-1642183-2463reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAPenghttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/2143https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v7i3.2143https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/2143/2143Copyright (c) 2019 Petra Guasti, Debora Rezende de Almeidahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessGuasti, PetraAlmeida, Debora Rezende de2022-12-22T15:16:53Zoai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/2143Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T16:22:31.800222Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil
title Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil
spellingShingle Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil
Guasti, Petra
Brazil; democracy; Germany; misrepresentation; populism; representation; representative claims
title_short Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil
title_full Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil
title_fullStr Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil
title_full_unstemmed Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil
title_sort Claims of Misrepresentation: A Comparison of Germany and Brazil
author Guasti, Petra
author_facet Guasti, Petra
Almeida, Debora Rezende de
author_role author
author2 Almeida, Debora Rezende de
author2_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Guasti, Petra
Almeida, Debora Rezende de
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Brazil; democracy; Germany; misrepresentation; populism; representation; representative claims
topic Brazil; democracy; Germany; misrepresentation; populism; representation; representative claims
description The system of representative democracy is under considerable strain. Its institutions are struggling to maintain legitimacy, and its elected representatives are failing to keep their monopoly on (formal) political representation. An emerging multitude of (new) claim makers contests the authority of elected representatives as well as the functioning of the existing system of representative democracy by alleging misrepresentation. In this article, we identify a significant shortcoming in Saward’s claims-making approach; specifically, we argue that it offers little direction in addressing misrepresentation. We distinguish between claims of representation and claims of misrepresentation, and show how the latter can fulfill one, two or all three of the following functions: (1) they appeal to an enemy/antagonist (strategy), (2) identify causes of misrepresentation related to policies, politics, and polity (persuasion), and (3) claim to create a new linkage to “the people”, sometimes present themselves as new representatives (reframing). To test this proposed framework, we compare claims of misrepresentation in Brazil made by civil society groups (before and during the presidential impeachment between 2014 and 2016) and in Germany (focusing on the parliamentarians of the Alternative for Germany during the first six months of mandate). Our results suggest that claims of misrepresentation are not intrinsically democratic or undemocratic, but are instead ambiguous, have different manifestations and disparate impacts on the representative system. Our article contributes to the conceptual development of the claims approach and to further understanding several critical and current challenges to representative democracy.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019-09-24
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url https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v7i3.2143
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https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v7i3.2143
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/2143/2143
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv Copyright (c) 2019 Petra Guasti, Debora Rezende de Almeida
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Copyright (c) 2019 Petra Guasti, Debora Rezende de Almeida
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cogitatio
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cogitatio
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Politics and Governance; Vol 7, No 3 (2019): Rethinking Representation: Representative Claims in Global Perspective; 152-164
2183-2463
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
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