Meritocratic Representation

in Daniel Bell and Li Chenyang, eds, The East Asian Challenge for Democracy: Political Meritocracy in Comparative Perspective, Cambridge University Press, 2013, 138-60

22 Pages Posted: 9 Dec 2015

See all articles by Philip N. Pettit

Philip N. Pettit

Princeton University; Australian National University (ANU) - Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS)

Date Written: December 4, 2015

Abstract

Can those who are appointed on the basis of merit, and who do not serve at the pleasure of the government that appoints them, count as representatives of the people? Yes, insofar as their brief, the constraints to which they are subject, and their exposure to contestation ensure that how they act in their area of responsibility is indicative of how the ought to act: in particular, how they ought to act, according to relevant, popularly endorsed standards. Such meritocratically selected authorities are designed to be representative, not in the responsive sense in which elected deputies may be representative, but in the indicative sense in which a statistical sample can be representative of a wider population.

Keywords: representation, meritocracy, China model, democracy

Suggested Citation

Pettit, Philip N., Meritocratic Representation (December 4, 2015). in Daniel Bell and Li Chenyang, eds, The East Asian Challenge for Democracy: Political Meritocracy in Comparative Perspective, Cambridge University Press, 2013, 138-60, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2699260

Philip N. Pettit (Contact Author)

Princeton University ( email )

305 Marx Hall
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609-258-4759 (Phone)
609-258-1110 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.princeton.edu/~ppettit/

Australian National University (ANU) - Research School of Social Sciences (RSSS) ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia

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