Urban Political Leadership and Political Representation: The Multifaceted Representational Role of Danish Mayors

The concepts of political leadership and political representation are applied to urban politics, and based on a case study of four mayors in Denmark, four mayoral representational functions are identified: representative, master of ceremonies, local secretary of state, and ombudsman. The four functions separate the mayor from the councillors who act only as representatives. With regard to representational focus (who is represented), the case study demonstrates that mayors have a much broader focus than councillors. The different functions and focuses of mayors and councillors are combined into two ideal types of representation, leader style and legislator style.