Abstract

The article focuses on some critical features of contemporary representative democracies. It frames them within the broader global transformations in the cultural, social and political spheres, which, in turn, affect the life of institutions. It looks into the elements of this crisis and, in particular, the difficulties of representation in the "age of avatars". The virtues of electoral representation are considered side by side with the dilemmas of deliberative democracy and participatory democracy. The article also considers instruments and practices like citizen boards, sortitions, imperative mandates and referendums, particularly in the Information Age. The article finally challenges the view that a mediation ground between citizens and representatives is fundamental for representation.