- Reaction score
- 8,324
- Points
- 1,160
It depends on what you mean by representative.
Our idea of democracy is considerably more representative than it was in 1950, or 1900, or 1850, just based on who is allowed to vote.
In those earlier eras people formed clubs and associations and those clubs and associations put forward people they knew to run for office, locally, provincially and federally.
Coincidentally, in those days, sports were played by local players playing on local teams supported by local fans that employed the local players. Thus you had the Kenora Thistles winning the 1907 Stanley Cup, the Sarnia Imperials winning the 1936 Grey Cup, any of the winners of the Minto and Mann Cups, and everybody and his brother competing for the FA Cup.
Russian professionals just don't engender the same community ties.