Diversity Under Electoral Distress: Evidence from Brazil
P5-S107-3
Presented by: Iris Acquarone
Marginalized candidates are increasingly running for and winning office. Although traditional research suggests that this can create additional political opportunities for marginalized groups, emerging work shows that political parties and elites pursue inclusivity strategically, expanding efforts only when electoral incentives align. We address these conflicting expectations by focusing on a critical but understudied area for political inclusion: campaign funding. Using a regression discontinuity design and data on candidate characteristics, electoral outcomes, and campaign finances from Brazilian municipal elections, we examine how the success of women and Afro-Brazilian candidates affects campaign resources in subsequent elections. Our findings shed light on whether and under what conditions the election of marginalized politicians leads political parties to pursue greater inclusivity, and how these efforts are shaped by electoral pressures. The electoral success of marginalized groups and the strategic calculations of political parties must both be considered to further political inclusion.
Keywords: marginalized groups; descriptive representation; campaign funding; Brazil