The V(T)–V(C) Gap: Electoral Choice as Competition of Political Representation Technologies

This article identifies a structural gap in the theoretical architecture of electoral legitimation. Empirical research in political communication and marketing reliably demonstrates that the actual object of electoral choice in mass society is the product of competing technologies of political representation, rather than the real personality of the candidate. At the same time, theories of political representation proceed from the assumption that elections produce a personal authorization of the real bearer of power. Between these two well-established positions, there exists no theoretically justified transition from a preference for an informational construct to a personal mandate. The article formalizes this gap, demonstrates its logical and empirical irreducibility, and raises the question of whether the foundations of democratic legitimacy must be reconsidered.