Gender, Ethnicity, and Intersectionality in Cabinets

Roman Hlatky, Keith Padraic Chew, Eoin L. Power, Sam Selsky, Betty Compton, Meiying Xu, Amy H. Liu

ISBN 10: 1009570471 / ISBN 13: 9781009570473

Published by Cambridge University Press, GB, 2025

About this Item

What explains patterns of representation - of women and ethnic minorities - in government cabinets? The authors argue governments diversify their cabinets when (1) a minority group - and it need not be ethnic - is sizable and can mobilize (political competition); and/or (2) the general population believes in and expects the inclusion of minorities (popular norms). The authors test their argument using original cabinet data from Asia and Europe (N=93) 1960-2015 and a most-similar design of four case studies. They identify the gender and ethnicity of 91,000 country-year-minister observations - with consideration of the rank of their ministerial portfolio. They find evidence that in countries where there is political competition and/or popular norms, cabinets have fewer double-hegemons. However, this does not necessarily suggest minorities are holding portfolios of substantive prestige. This project offers a way to study intersectionality in democratic representation and political institutions.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781009570473

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Gender, Ethnicity, and Intersectionality in Cabinets
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, GB
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1009570471
• ISBN 13: 9781009570473
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 287 grams

About this title

Synopsis

What explains patterns of representation – of women and ethnic minorities – in government cabinets? The authors argue governments diversify their cabinets when (1) a minority group – and it need not be ethnic – is sizable and can mobilize (political competition); and/or (2) the general population believes in and expects the inclusion of minorities (popular norms). The authors test their argument using original cabinet data from Asia and Europe (N=93) 1960-2015 and a most-similar design of four case studies. They identify the gender and ethnicity of 91,000 country-year-minister observations – with consideration of the rank of their ministerial portfolio. They find evidence that in countries where there is political competition and/or popular norms, cabinets have fewer double-hegemons. However, this does not necessarily suggest minorities are holding portfolios of substantive prestige. This project offers a way to study intersectionality in democratic representation and political institutions.