There are many arguments for this that are not particularly to do with representation per
se. These include the notion that it is a terrible commentary on the nature of a society if it cannot
give all its citizens, regardless of their sex, race etc, the genuinely equal opportunity to serve as
political representatives; the idea that a society that allows a minority to monopolise positions of
political authority is not an egalitarian society; or that a society that excludes what may turn out
to be the numerical majority from positions of political influence is building up dangerous and
potentially explosive resentments. But the arguments are also about what counts as fair
representation: the idea that failing this 'politics of presence' , democracies cannot hope to achieve
fair representation of the full range of political concerns. It is this that proved the more difficult
point to argue. I focus here on a numbers of problems that are typically (and rightly) raised