Party Strategies in the Political Representation of Immigrant Minorities

Abstract

The political representation of immigrant minorities has attracted increasing academic and political interest over the last few years. This panel invites papers that look at the role of parties in the inclusion of immigrant origin minorities as candidates at the local, regional or national level. What type of strategies, if any, do parties follow in the nomination of candidates of immigrant background? To what extent parties responses are conditioned by their own characteristics such ideology, size or party family; by party system factors, or the demands of inclusion by specific groups? Are certain groups of parties more prone to nominate candidates than others? Do certain parties tend to accommodate specific minority groups? Do certain sociodemographic or political characteristics of the candidates themselves influence parties’ decision to include them as candidates? Communications providing a strong empirical background as well as a comparative outlook are particularly welcomed.