Direct attention to representation within contemporary democratic theory has come from three other sources as well. The most broadly recognized of these, Pitkin’s now clas- sic The Concept of Representation (1967), came from within the standard account itself. Pitkin provided a comprehensive theory of represen- tation, primarily within electoral contexts, just when participatory democracy had captured the imaginations of progressive democrats. Indeed, Pitkin herself turned to the partici- patory paradigm shortly after publication, re- turning to the topic only to note that the al- liance between democracy and representation is “uneasy” owing to their distinct genealo- gies (Pitkin 1967, p. 2; Pitkin 2004; Williams 2000). If democracy is based on the presence
of citizens, representation is at best a surro- gate form of participation for citizens who are physically absent.