Partisan-Descriptive Ethnic Minority Representation in Perspective

Abstract

The empirical Chapters 3, 4 and 5 spotlight the causal chain that exists between electoral rules, actual descriptive representation of ethnic minorities through ethnic parties and satisfaction with democracy as well as protest (see Figure 2.1). The research centres on the partisan-descriptive representation of ethnic minorities and analyses both its determinants and consequences. The theoretical argument is based on rational choice and assumes instrumentally rational voters and elites. It considers settings of proportional representation. Office-seeking political entrepreneurs are accordingly influenced by the political-institutional context in their cost-benefit calculation of running for election with an ethnic minority party, pursuing political agendas desired by ethnic minority voters to secure re-election, or potentially mobilizing for protest activities. Similarly, policy-seeking voters consider partisan-descriptive representation in their attitudes and actions (see Chapter 2). The argument draws on general political science literature on social movements, electoral politics, descriptive representation and ethnic conflict as well as politics. In this section, the main innovations of the book both in theoretical and methodological terms are discussed for each research question, before confronting the hypotheses with the empirical results in a joint discussion. The research enterprise closes with an outlook on possible further research beyond its scope.