Reconceptualizing “feeling represented”: A new approach to measure how feelings of political representation are constructed

Abstract

AbstractIn political representation, the concept of feeling represented has garnered significant attention in recent years. However, the prevailing conceptualization of feeling represented is limited in its scope and has effectively conflated a perception of being represented with feeling represented. We argue that such a conflation undermines our understanding of political representation, especially in the face of the constructivist turn in representation. Constructivist scholars have theoretically elaborated that representation results from a process in which a linkage is created between represented and representative. We argue that feeling represented is an essential part of establishing this representative relationship. By drawing on the recent constructivist turn in representation and applying key insights from psychology, we develop and test a reconceptualization of feeling represented. Through an online survey, American prolific users ($$N=605$$ N = 605 ) were asked a number of questions related to feeling represented after witnessing representative claims by unelected representatives. Through both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, we establish that feeling represented is a multidimensional concept consisting of instrumental, expressive, and aversive dimensions. Thus, feeling represented is a subjective state consisting of clearly emotional components, and it can be measured as a response to unelected representation. Acknowledging this goes beyond the current constructivist account of representation and sets the stage for future research.