Do Disabled Candidates Represent Disabled Citizens?

Abstract

Whether citizens are better represented by politicians ‘like them’ has been the subject of much debate and analysis. Yet, this scholarship has largely ignored the 1 in 5 people who are disabled and experience economic, social and political marginalization. Linking voter and candidate data from the 2015 British general election, this study examines whether disabled citizens are better represented by disabled elites. It analyses the effects of disability on both preferences and preference congruence. The findings reveal that disabled citizens and candidates are more supportive of healthcare and general public spending, even within parties. At the same time, the views of disabled citizens are rarely more congruent with the positions of disabled candidates than those of non-disabled candidates, except on healthcare spending. The study provides ground-breaking insights into the role of disability in policy preferences and political representation while also highlighting broader implications of how the descriptive–substantive representation link is analysed.

Health and Disability Gaps in Political Engagement: A Short Review

“…Poor health can intensify the importance of politics for individuals because welfare policies, particularly those related to healthcare services and transfers, become more important for people with health problems. Similar results were subsequently found in a wider European comparison and also in other contexts [15]. For instance, contacting politicians, signing petitions or initiatives, being politically active in social media, and boycotting certain products were found to be typical forms of participation in which people with poor health were more active than those in good health.…”

Distinctive Voices: Political Speech, Rhetoric, and the Substantive Representation of Women in European Parliaments

“…Consequently, women representing women's interests is partly a result of the selection of candidates holding their position. Similarly, Reher (2022) outlines how disabled politicians represent disabled citizens based on shared preferences. Third, representing women through parliamentary actions gives women politicians political credibility and is beneficial for their career (Bailer et al 2022).…”

Ticking Two Boxes, Fighting Two Battles: Intersectional Experiences of Ethnic Minority Women Councillors in UK Local Government

“…Lower levels of descriptive representation and higher barriers to standing for election have been found for women (Childs and Lovenduski 2013;Mackay 2004), ethnic minorities (Sobolewska 2013;Stegmaier et al 2013), working-class people (Matthews and Kerevel 2021;Murray 2021), and candidates with disabilities (Indriyany et al 2019;Reher 2022). Research on these groups' political representation have largely developed in isolation from one another, resulting in the frequent omission of intersectional disadvantages in representation (Krook and Nugent 2016;Minta 2012;Severs et al 2016).…”