Are politicians representing marginalized groups due to non-electoral motives? This study examines appointed Canadian senators, who lack electoral incentives. Using a novel survey on policy opinion priorities among various citizen groups, researchers found that senators with racial or regional minority identities influenced which group's views they prioritized learning about.
Data & Methods:
Survey administered to Canadian senators and their staff; captured how representatives prioritize learning about different citizens' opinions;
Key Findings:
Senators' personal group identities affected policy priorities; non-electoral motives may drive representation in some cases;
Implications:
This challenges existing assumptions about political representation; findings offer insights into unelected bodies and contexts with weak public oversight.
| Nonelectoral Motivations to Represent Marginalized Groups in a Democracy: Evidence from an Unelected legislature was authored by John McAndrews, Jonah I. Goldberg, Peter John Loewen, Daniel Rubenson and Benjamin Allen Stevens. It was published by Wiley in LSQ in 2021. |
