The Diminishing Value of Representing the Disadvantaged: Between Group Representation and Individual Career Paths

Abstract Does enhanced descriptive representation lead to substantive representation? Legislators who share features with disadvantaged groups do not necessarily represent their group interests. Instead, Members of Parliament (MPs) strategically choose when engage the policy topic corresponding groups. MPs respective at beginning career because it confers credibility they have no legislative track record and few opportunities demonstrate expertise. These group-specific efforts are replaced by other activities later stages careers. The authors apply this theoretical expectation across four – women, migrants, low social class young thereby offer a broad perspective on representation. Their sample consists unique data base that combines biographical information German topic-coded parliamentary questions for period 1998 2013. study demonstrates diminishing value representing different types MPs.