Single-Axis Politics: Explaining the Persistent Political Overrepresentation of Men from Majority Racial and Ethnic Groups

Over time, politicians elected to national office have become increasingly diverse. Nevertheless, men from majority racial and ethnic groups continue to dominate national politics in most democratic countries. In this project, I explore one of the ways the status quo of majority men’s political overrepresentation is maintained: single-axis politics. In most countries, women and/or racial and ethnic minorities have made at least some progress towards proportional representation, sometimes assisted through formal policies like gender or ethnic quotas. How does progress for one type of marginalized group affect the political outcomes of others? On the one hand, when one type of marginalized group makes gains, their success could provide a model by which other historically disadvantaged groups could follow. On the other hand, once women or some members of marginalized groups are represented, it could become easier for elites to deflect pressure for further changes for other types of groups through what I call single-axis politics. In this paper, I use a combination of cross-national quantitative analyses and in-depth case studies to document and explore variation in the deployment of single-axis politics around the world. Using quantitative data, I investigate patterns in the representation of women and men from majority and minority racial and ethnic groups worldwide. I also test whether the use of national quotas for one type of marginalized group may decrease the likelihood that quotas for other types of marginalized groups are adopted. Then, using qualitative data, I explore the broader range of tactics that create competition among underrepresented groups and that remove broader inclusiveness from the realm of possible political outcomes. This study offers a take on why – even in the face of intensifying pressure for change – men from majority racial and ethnic groups remain overrepresented in democratic politics worldwide.