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Informal Workers as Outsiders : Political Participation and Voice Across MENA Countries
Title / Series / Name
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Pages
Authors
Editors
Keywords
MENA
informal employment
insider–outsider
mobilization
voting
Sociology and Political Science
SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
informal employment
insider–outsider
mobilization
voting
Sociology and Political Science
SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/27003
Abstract
This study explores how informal employment, prevalent across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, impacts political behavior by creating insider–outsider divides. While previous research offers mixed evidence on the relationship between informal employment, voting patterns, and social policy preferences, our analysis reveals a significant and robust negative association between informality and various forms of political mobilization, including petitioning, protesting, and the use of force for political causes. Informal sector workers are less likely to engage politically due to limited resources, organizational constraints, and diminished incentives within exclusionary economic and political systems. Importantly, our findings show that this inverse relationship persists regardless of democratic context, although social assistance programs can partially mediate the effects of informality on political engagement. Our findings emphasize the importance of structural barriers in fostering inclusive political participation and expand the literature on the relationship between labor markets, social policy, and democratization in Global South.
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2025-02-24
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1177/00323217251315520