Underrepresentation in Tunisia

• In Event: Political Parties in Transitional Democracies and Authoritarian Regimes

Abstract

This study examines the perception of political parties in Tunisia, by exploring the alignment between individuals' political views and the existing party landscape. Using survey data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES) conducted post the 2019 elections in Tunisia, I investigate ideological self-placement and party placements on the left-right (LR) and secular-Islamist (SI) dimensions. Results show a convergence of party placements in respondents’ answers, suggesting a perception that these parties are indistinguishable for ordinary Tunisians. The study also examines the extent to which the existing political parties represent Tunisians’ ideological views. Using ideological distance measures both from the left-right and the secular-Islamist dimensions, I show that a substantial portion of the population is not represented by any of the parties, particularly those on the right and the Islamist dimensions. Finally, the paper also examines the behavioral consequences of underrepresentation and how it shaped Tunisia’s democratic transition. Results show that greater ideological distance led to lower voter turnout and a higher probability to vote for Kais Saied. These results are important for understanding the deep crisis of democratic backsliding in Tunisia and the challenges in consolidating its democracy.

Authors

• Ameni Mehrez, Harvard Kennedy School

• Levente Littvay, Central European University