2024/08/28 by Stefanie Reher, Elizabeth Evans · 1 voice · 9 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Aesthetics #Art #Disability Rights and Representation #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Gender Politics and Representation #Gender studies #Identity (music) #Law #Perception #Political science #Politics #Psychology #Representation (politics) #Social psychology #Sociology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11109-024-09969-z
published in Political Behavior 47(2), 689-709 (Springer Science+Business Media)
openalex publication_date 2024/08/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Studies have shown that citizens from minoritized groups, including women and people of color, tend to feel better represented by politicians who share their identity, often translating into electoral support. Is this also the case for disabled people, one of the largest yet often ignored minority groups in our societies? Analyses of data from a conjoint survey experiment with 6,000 respondents in the UK and US show that disabled people indeed feel better represented by disabled candidates. This representational link does not require a sense of group identity and is only partly explained by perceptions of shared policy preferences. The study also reveals that non-disabled people feel better represented by non-disabled candidates. The findings highlight the relevance of disability as a political identity, bolstering calls for more disabled people in politics, and might help explain the disability gaps in political trust and participation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11109-024-09969-z.