Preferences over Descriptive Representation in Eight Democracies

Abstract

What preferences do voters hold over descriptive representation? We distinguish between self-centered, proportionality-based, and other-regarding representation preferences and explore which of these preference types best describes public opinion on the composition of legislatures. Using survey experiments fielded in eight democracies (Australia, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Turkey, and the United States), we test how citizens ($N=\num{13851}$) respond to varying levels of legislative misrepresentation across ideological, geographic, and gender dimensions. We find that citizens favor overrepresentation of their own ideological group and region, reflecting self-centered preferences. In contrast, both women and men support female overrepresentation. These patterns appear rooted in how citizens link descriptive representation and key elements of substantive representation such as policy responsiveness and outcomes. Our findings shed light on how misrepresentation of political and social groups in parliament affects democratic attitudes.

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