Final answer:
People in the governing body are known as b. 'representatives' who act based on their constituents' interests, either as delegates enacting the wishes of their constituents, or as trustees employing their own judgment to decide on their constituents' behalf. Representation is fundamental to ensure responsiveness of the government to its citizens.
Step-by-step explanation:
People in the governing body are the representatives for the citizens. These officeholders represent the will of those who elected them and act in the constituents' expressed interest. In representative democracies, the role of representative has traditionally been that of a delegate or a trustee, with some attempting to balance the two.
Representatives who view themselves as delegates believe they must enact the wishes of their constituents and employ methods to identify these views before voting accordingly. On the other hand, representatives acting as trustees use their own judgment to decide what they believe is in the best interests of their constituents, sometimes contrary to the constituents’ views. Nevertheless, all representatives have the duty to address the concerns and needs of the people they represent.
Representation ensures that governments are responsive to the people and acts as a safeguard against government oppression. The government of the United States is an example of a republic, or representative democracy, where citizens elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf, favoring majority rule.