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Single Idea 24417

[catalogued under 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / d. Representative democracy]

Full Idea

If a citizen cannot even find a candidate whose views coincide with their own, then there is no possibility at all that he will send to parliament a genuine representative.

Gist of Idea

If the views of candidate and voter don't coincide, there is no way they can really represent them

Source

Robert Paul Wolff (In Defence of Anarchism [1970], 2.3)

A Reaction

He has shown that the complexity of issues makes such a coincidence of views a virtual impossibility. Ain't this the truth? All you can hope for is to elect someone who seems to be 'my sort of person'.

Book Reference

Wolff,Robert Paul: 'In Defence of Anarchism' [Harper Torchbooks 1976], p.33