Abstract
This article seeks to contribute to the debate in contemporary democratic theory on how democracy can be reconciled with political representation by analyzing the Chamber in the Square, a proposal advanced by Augusto Boal in Legislative Theatre and put into practice when he was elected city councilor. After reviewing Nadia Urbinati’s reconceptualization of democratic representation as a diarchy of will and judgment, we partially endorse Hélène Landemore’s criticism and contend that democratic representation requires citizens’ exchange of opinions in the public sphere to be invested with the power not only to judge but also to decide about political affairs. By opening up a space where the represented can decide the general terms of the bills representatives present in the assembly, the Chamber in the Square offers a scheme that can reconcile democracy and representation.
Keywords:
political representation; democracy; participation; Augusto Boal; legislative theatre; Nadia Urbinati