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Reseña:
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This paper analyzes the relationship between a widespread electoral reform—quota policies—and the role of political parties in electoral politics. We investigate under what circumstances electoral quotas may pose a long-term challenge to the partisan representation model by increasing non-partisan involvement in electoral politics. Based on normative theories on group representation, we hypothesize that quota provisions targeting minorities will be specified in a way that excludes political parties to a greater extent than quota laws targeting women. We study the sixteen countries in the world that have adopted quotas both for women and for minorities and take a closer look at the design and wording of the quota in six of the countries that use same quota type (reserved seats) for both groups. The study gives support to the hypothesis. Electoral quotas are not a uniform policy; to the contrary, different ideas about groups in society and their need for representation appear to be embedded in these electoral reforms. |
