Strategically Inclusive Parties and Diversity of Descriptive Representation

• In Event: Mini-Conference on Politics in Post-industrial Societies I: Women, Gender, Labor Markets and Political Structures

Abstract

Political institutions are becoming increasingly diverse across multiple sociodemographics, yet we lack a holistic explanation of increases in the diversity of descriptive representation. I posit a process of demarginalization, or the bringing of the marginalized into the mainstream, particularly when accompanied by inclusion demands, explains increases in diversity of representation in terms of gender, race and ethnicity, and age. In party-centered systems, demarginalization creates incentives for party gatekeepers to select more candidates from these groups in electoral performance contexts that make political elites more open to alternative strategies. I test these claims using field elite experiments in Uruguay. A 2x2 between and within subject survey-in-the-field experiment unveils the ways in which strategically inclusive parties affect the composition of their parliamentary delegations by responding to (1) voters’ preferences over issues and candidates, and, (2) electoral constraints. Findings provide theoretical and empirical insights into the conditions for making political representation more inclusive.

Author

• Iris Acquarone, Arizona State University