Are There Spillovers in the Representation of Excluded Groups?

• In Event: Representation, Exclusion and the Consequences

Abstract

How do groups traditionally excluded from access to political power gain political representation? Important work suggests that demonstration effects are important: when one member of excluded group is elected, this demonstrates to party elites, voters, and potential candidates that members of this group are electable – paving the way for their greater entry into politics. An observable implication of these theories is that there should be temporal and spatial spillovers in the representation of excluded groups. We empirically test this implication in the context of the historical growth of female members of parliament (MPs) in India, whose numbers have tripled since independence. We utilize a close-elections regression discontinuity design, comparing constituencies barely won or lost by a female candidate, to investigate whether the quasi-random election of a female MP improves the chances of electing a female MP in nearby constituencies and in subsequent elections over time. The findings shed light on how excluded groups gain access to political power.

Authors

• Amreeta Priyadarshini Das, University of California, Merced

• Aditya Dasgupta, University of California, Merced