CONCEPT
Differentiated Representation
Young's institutional prescription for binding representation of structurally disadvantaged groups in the bodies that make decisions affecting them — not tokenism, not consultation, but guaranteed decision-making authority.
Differentiated representation is the institutional form Young's theory of inclusion demands. It holds that structurally disadvantaged groups require guaranteed representation in the bodies that make decisions affecting them — representation selected by the communities themselves rather than appointed by regulators, with binding decision-making authority rather than advisory input. Against the liberal view that political representation is a relation between individual representatives and individual constituents, Young argued that complex modern societies require representation of perspectives, interests, and opinions — three distinct dimensions that cannot be adequately captured by any single representational mechanism.
In The You On AI Field Guide
Applied to AI governance, differentiated representation might take several concrete forms. Regulatory bodies tasked with AI oversight could include voting members drawn from affected worker communities — selected by those communities, not appointed by the regulator. AI companies above a certain size could be required to establish worker councils with genuine decision-making authority over deployment decisions affecting employment. International AI governance bodies could include delegations from the