Unequal Representation of Economically Defined Groups. Do Citizens Notice It? And if So, Does it Matter?

Despite equal political rights, all citizens might not have the same influence on representatives’ decisions and public policy. In particular, there is growing evidence that economic inequalities translate into political inequalities with the preferences of richer citizens having more weight in the political process. There is, however, much less evidence on individuals’ perceptions of unequal representation and the political consequences of these perceptions notably in terms of electoral participation and choice. This paper aims at filling this gap by analysing (1) whether citizens perceive representational inequalities across economically defined groups (2), the extent to which this perception varies depending on individuals’ own position in the income distribution, and (3) the impact of perceived unequal representation on participation and electoral choice across income groups. The empirical analysis is based on original survey data collected in fourteen western countries in 2019.