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Abstract

Immigrant-origin residents are under-represented in many West European legislatures, and this is often seen as a problem for democratic legitimacy. Yet little is known about the level of demand for immigrant-origin political representation, whether among immigrant-origin residents or among non-migrants. We present new evidence from surveys in German cities, and examine factors that may explain variation in the desire for migrant-origin political representation. We show that there is considerable support, both among those with and among those without immigrant backgrounds. However, this is not always linked to a voting preference for migrant-origin candidates. Support for migrant-origin political representation turns out to be a multifaceted phenomenon. In order to understand support for the political representation of migrant-origin residents, scholars need to look beyond migrant-origin voters. Our results also suggest that scholars should study the issue of migrant-origin political representation in the context of wider conflicts over cosmopolitan versus nationalist values, and inclusive versus exclusive political institutions.