The purpose of the article is to compare the theoretical basis of representation with the real relations between the representative and the collectivity, as practiced in the functioning of the representative government. In the first part, the author focuses on explaining the modern understanding of representative democracy against the background of the classic theory of representation; the second part is devoted to the presentation of the legal aspect of the representative mandate, considering the transformation of the discussed institution in the context of European and Polish constitutional law. The third part is to present the discrepancies between the legal construction of representation and political and systemic practice of its functioning, together with an indication of the reasons for this gap. The relations between the mandate holder and the voters, and the internal system of relations between the representatives and their political groups of origin have been analysed.