Political participation

The Political Participation Programme seeks to advance expertise on issues related to the inclusion of minorities in decision-making processes. The programme includes the following substantive research areas:
1) electoral and party systems;
2) legislative and executive representation

Minorities’ ability to effectively participate in the political process is profoundly shaped by the rules, norms, and practices that exist in each of substantive areas . The programme aspires to evaluate how variation in these rules, norms, and practices affects minorities’ chances of impacting upon political and policy processes in a meaningful way. Further progress in areas of minority policy advice and recommendation depends on a comprehensive analysis of how choices of different mechanisms of participation and representation affect the situation of minorities and the dynamics of majority-minority relations.

The programme’s objective is three-fold:
• to advance theoretical understanding of effects that institutional and procedural provisions have on levels of minority participation,
• to improve practical advice and recommendations on policy/institutional matters provided by expert community to various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders,
• to develop monitoring tools for evaluating and comparing individual countries’ records on minority inclusion issues.

For more detailed information on the programme’s content and activities, please click here for the Political Participation Programme website.