Co-organisé par le GREC, le LAGAPE & OBELIS
Recent research on representational inequality shows that the social class background of legislators matters for redistributive policymaking, but the causes for this increasing underrepresentation are still poorly understood. Trade unions are often seen as key actors in influencing the parliamentary representation of workers, and recent empirical findings show that union density and working-class officeholding are positively correlated. However, the mechanisms behind these findings are not clear, especially regarding the way unions and parties interact in nomination processes. Based on unique data on the occupational biographies of German national legislators since the 1970s, the paper examines the extent and the ways through which trade unions influence working-class officeholding. Deploying sequence analysis tools, the paper analyzes how the “typical” career paths to parliament between those with and without working-class background differ. I trace the influence of union support, its change over time, and potential differences between male and female (working-class) MPs.