This article departs from the normative-theoretical literature on descriptive representation,
which argues that some disadvantaged groups need a special form of representation. Most …

Recent research has revealed a considerable representation gap disadvantaging the lower
social class in the political process. However, we know little about the underlying …

The sources, meaning and political implications of class identity are conditional on national
context, reflecting the relative importance of cultural (status-related) versus economic …

Descriptive representation—understood as a concern that the gender and ethnic
composition of elected assemblies should roughly correspond to the gender and ethnic …

Class analysis has historically been central to debates in political sociology. Social class
divisions, notably those between middle and working classes, have long been recognized to …

In the 1990s, sociologists engaged in a heated controversy about class voting. Although
empirical evidence accumulated, positions remained surprisingly divided. This paper argues …

Does enhanced descriptive representation lead to substantive representation? Legislators
who share descriptive features with disadvantaged groups do not necessarily represent their …

Claims of the demise of class were in part fuelled by problems facing a class analysis of
contemporary politics. Central to this was the emergence of the 'new middle class'. Debates …

This article deals with the evolution of class voting in Switzerland from 1971 to 2011. It
shows that class cleavage (working class versus owners/employers) has weakened in …

Class inequality provides fertile ground for the development of class divisions in political
interests. Post-communist societies display evidence of such inequality and—despite …