Are They in the Mood for Me? Inclusion Demands and Underrepresented Candidates Emergence

PI: Iris E. Acquarone, PhD Candidate, Rice University

Grant Amount: $2,500

Project Abstract: Underrepresented candidates, such as women, racial and ethnic minorities, and young adults, are running for public office at a higher rate than ever before, at the same time that citizens are increasingly expressing discontent with the makeup of political elites, who are mostly middle-aged white men. Does the public mood for certain representatives influence the types of candidates that emerge? In particular, are underrepresented candidates more likely to run for office when the public is in the mood for them? I theorize a mood for the political inclusion of historically marginalized groups affects candidate emergence among these groups in two ways. First, it increases the political ambition of unambitious members of these groups; a precursor of the decision to run for office. Second, it makes already ambitious group members more likely to run for office. I will test these claims using survey experiments in the U.S. and the UK and causal mediation analysis. The findings will add new insights into whether and how public opinion can help overcome inequalities in access to political office. 

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