Shifting the Calculus of Candidacy? Assessing the Impact of Hostile Political Climates on the Political Ambitions of Marginalized Groups

In many established democracies, citizens who consider entering politics face increasingly hostile political climates. How does this affect the desire to pursue a political career among groups that are underrepresented in politics?

Although an equitable political representation of all individuals is a cornerstone of democracy, this question has not been addressed in prior research.

Our project exploits the vast differences between two cases, Sweden and the US, to produce generalizable results about how a hostile political climate impacts the political ambition of (1) those broad segments of the population that are not (yet) politicians, and (2) those who are currently holding elected office and are weighing whether to leave, stay or advance.

First, interviews with current politicians at different political levels and career stages will help us pinpoint dynamics of polarization and hostility, and their perceived effects.

Next, large-scale surveys with both current politicians and the broader citizenry, will be fielded to study how a hostile and polarized political climate affects the desire to pursue a political career among groups that are underrepresented in politics.

The project has great societal relevance, since patterns of minority, youth, working-class and female underrepresentation characterize political assemblies both in Europe and in North America. Our research will help identify barriers that dissuade members of underrepresented groups from being politicians.