Representation is not about proportionality

Why transfer power to elected representatives? Because we believe that a few representatives can do the governing job better than if we all tried to be involved in political decisions.

Now, because voters can be grouped into different identities, say: sex, age, ethnicity, ancestry, hair color, weight, literacy, religion, honesty, sexual orientation, handedness, IQ and many other personal characteristics does it mean that each of such groupings should be entitled to elect its representatives? This is absurd! Not only because we can multiply such identity groups indefinitely, but mostly because we have multiple identities and identity has little to do with the job of government or guarantees that such representatives would be qualified for the governing job.

That is why representation must be entrusted to like-minded people that we believe to be the best qualified for the job. That is the reason why we entrust representation to open party organizations.

However, what happens when such parties are closed or overtaken by self-perpetuating special interest groups or partocracies that discriminate or discourage members from specific identities (e.g. women or gypsies)? The solution is for the electors not to vote on such parties.

But, what happens if, without discriminating, some parties do not seek actively for talent among several identity groups (e.g. retired, young, Jews, immigrants, etc.) without this really causing a decline in the quality of its candidates for election? Should the electors also punish such parties at the vote? This is not necessarily so if voters are not in favor of positive discrimination or think that such identity groups do not really wish to be involved in politics.

This is the fundamental reason why policies of positive discrimination should never be part of the electoral rules. It is a matter for the parties to implement such policies and for the electors to judge their actions.

However, today there is a danger for democracy because parties are replacing the fight for their ideologies and ideals by claims over representation of specific identity groups (e.g. businessmen instead of market capitalism or LGBTs instead of sexual freedom).

Instead of disputing elections on the basis of policies parties try to divide the electorate into as many identities (electoral tribes) as possible which they claim to represent.

That is the reason why proportionality represents a return to a new type of tribalism and a threat to genuine representation. In the extreme, identity policies may even destroy democracy.