Minority representatives' contributions to pluralist democracies: the representations of other politically disadvantaged groups in parliamentary agendas

Abstract

The presence of minority representatives is generally discussed along their contributions to ethnic and/or religious minority identities in political arenas. Coming from a politically disadvantaged background, however, might bring further offerings to pluralistic democracies. Minority representatives can challenge a limited understanding of politics that is shaped along the interests of upper-class white men. Groups that have been similarly excluded from political representation mechanisms may build solidarity in making democracies more pluralist (Ceyhan, 2018; Phillips, 1995; Saward, 2006). With similar experiences, it is possible to develop awareness of common problems and to follow inclusive policies towards the traditionally excluded segments in political representation mechanisms (Philips, 1995: 2; Saward, 2006), i.e. the disabled, LGBTI people, the poor, and women. This study asks how often and in what ways do minority MPs address other politically disadvantaged groups. To answer this question, the researchers conduct a content analysis on parliamentary questions posted by minority and non-minority MPs in the Netherlands. The Dutch case has been particularly selected by taking the high number of minority representatives of migratory backgrounds into consideration. In our explanation, we particularly focus on party ideology, gender and ethnic identity as well as the characteristics of disadvantaged groups addressed.