Political Recruitment: Gender, Race and Class in the British Parliament

Description

Pippa Norris and Joni Lovenduski ask why some politicians succeed in moving into the highest offices of state, while others fail. They examine the relative dearth of women, black and working class Members of Parliament, and whether this evident social bias matters for political representation. The authors draw evidence from the first systematic surveys of parliamentary candidates, Members of Parliament and party selectors, as well as detailed personal interviews. The study explores how and why people become politicians, and the consequences for parties, legislatures and representative government.

'Political Recruitment is likely to become the standard work of its kind, and it certainly deserves to be, for the depth of its scholarship, the comprehensive scope of its research, and the logic with which its case is reasoned.' Talking Politics