A theory that assumes the politician is in office to be the voice of the people and to vote only as the people want.

• A. Theory of trustee representation
• B. Theory of delegate representation
• C. Democratic theory
• D. Populism

Answer: (B)

Delegate representation is the idea that elected officials act as agents of the people, voicing the electorate’s preferences in the legislature and voting to align with those preferences rather than their own private judgments. The statement describes the politician as the voice of the people who votes only as the people want, which is exactly this model. In this view, the representative’s role is to mirror the will of constituents, using their expressed desires, polls, or mandates to guide votes. The other ideas fit different roles: a trustee would rely on personal judgment and may vote contrary to the current popular view if they believe it’s better for the public; democratic theory is a broad framework for how democracies function and doesn’t specify this one-to-one voting rule; populism centers on appealing to the common people and mobilizing their support, not a defined rule about how representatives should vote.