IGL Seminar Report: “International Perspectives on Diversity: Exploring Voter Preferences and Multiracial Coalition-Building in Britain and New York City”

2024年12月6日更新

On October 31, 2024, the Institute for Global Leadership hosted an enlightening seminar on the theme of diversity and political representation, featuring two distinguished speakers, Matthew Hepplewhite and Ken Silverman. The event provided a comparative international perspective on voter preferences and multiracial coalition-building, delving into case studies from Britain and New York City. The seminar focused on two main topics: voter preferences in Britain and multiracial coalition-building in New York City, offering valuable insights into the complexities of political representation and diversity in these contexts.

Voter Preferences in Britain
Presented by Matthew Hepplewhite, a Ph.D. candidate at Oxford University and a JSPS research fellow at the University of Tokyo, this session focused on the disconnect between the sociodemographic characteristics of politicians and voter preferences in Britain. He shared insights from experimental studies and electoral data, including results from an original experiment conducted in Britain. The findings revealed a stark mismatch: the politicians currently representing Britons often do not align with the type of leader voters desire, particularly in terms of education, former occupation, and class. This misalignment raises critical questions about democratic representation in Britain. Hepplewhite suggested that this gap might explain the nation’s record-high levels of political disillusionment and historically low voter turnout. The session emphasized the urgent need to address this disconnect to strengthen democratic participation and trust in political institutions.
Multiracial Coalition-Building in New York City
Ken Silverman, a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the City University of New York and a Japan Foundation Japan Studies fellow, provided a case study of Queens, NYC, one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse urban areas globally. Silverman analyzed the New York City Council race, focusing on the unexpected victory of Korean American candidate Julie Won in a district that was neither Korean- nor Asian-dominated. He contends that Won’s victory can be attributed to three key factors: 1) her positionality as a new majority candidate; 2) her balanced, pluralist messaging and strategic framing; and 3) her appeal to a broad coalition of voters through hyper-local and cross-cutting issues.

This seminar highlighted critical challenges and opportunities in diverse democracies. From voter disillusionment in Britain to coalition-building in New York City, the discussions underscored the importance of representation and inclusion in modern political systems. This event was part of the Institute for Global Leadership's commitment to fostering global awareness and advancing diversity studies. It provided valuable insights for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in the intersections of leadership, diversity, and democracy.

Authored by: Jie Zhang (Project Lecturer, Institute for Global Leadership)

From Guest Speakers

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