Perspectives on Political Representation

<h3>Project Overview </h3> <p>This project explores whether representatives from minority groups in South Africa feel pressure to represent the group they are associated with. The broader project used a representative survey experiment among the general population (N = 1,252), combined with semi-structured interviews with elected representatives (N = 25). In the survey, there were clear expectations among the population that groups should be represented by a member of “their” group. However, in the survey experiment which captures a behavioral response, members of the general population did not trust representatives of “their” group more.</p> <p>In the interviews, the representatives confirmed that they are aware of the expectations of the population, and to some extent feel under pressure to represent the group they are associated with and its interests. They often expressed a reluctance to represent groups, however, because they wanted to focus on substantive issues. From this perspective, there was a tension between representing groups and norms against clientelism which the representatives held.</p>