So representation, it appears, has the advantage, Or does it? The irony of the combination of time and numbers is that it impartially cuts both ways: it swiftly reveals a great democratic defect in representative government. Returning to table 1 and our arithmetical exercises, suppose we now calculate the time that would be required if each citizen were to meet briefly with his or her representative. Table 1 provides a devastating case against the participatory possibilities of representative government. Let’s imagine that an elected representative wishes to set aside ten minutes for discussing matters with each adult citizen in the representative’s district. We’ll ignore travel time and other practicalities. Suppose the district contains ten thousand adult citizens, the largest number shown in table 1.Q.E.D.: The representative would have to allow more than half the days of the year just for meeting with constituents! In the United States, representative to the U.S. Congress are elected from districts that on average contain more than four hundred thousand adult citizens. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives who wished to devote just ten minutes to each citizen in the district would have no time for anything else. If he or she were to spend eight hours a day at the task, every day of the year, she or he would need more than twenty years, or ten terms, longer than most representatives ever remain in Congress.