Minorities and Political Success

In this paper, we focus on the effect of belonging to one or more minority groups on the probability of success in primary elections. We use a unique dataset of candidates in Israeli primaries. Our main finding is that belonging to one minority group decreases the probability of winning; however, belonging to two minority groups increases the probability of winning. Thus, being a new immigrant, a woman or a Muslim decreases the chances of electoral success (relative to a native male); however, a candidate who is a woman and a new immigrant, for example, has an advantage in the race. In some cases of candidates belonging to two minority groups, their chances of success are not only higher than for a candidate from one minority group, but also than for a candidate from the majority.