Better procedures for fairer outcomes: Can youth quotas increase our chances of meeting the demands of intergenerational justice?

Abstract

In this chapter, I put forward an instrumental justification for the introduction of youth quotas in parliament on grounds of justice between co-existing generations. I provide a two-fold argument drawing on the distinction between ‘substantive representation’ and ‘symbolic representation’. I argue that these jointly provide a good basis for a ‘politics of youth presence’ in parliaments. The chapter is in three parts. In the first section, I evaluate the impact that youth quotas can have on enhancing the chances of intergenerationally fair policies being implemented (substantive representation). In the second section, I show that youth quotas can play an important symbolic role in the promotion of a community of political equals, with potential implications for youth political participation (symbolic representation). In the third section, I introduce an original distinction between two kinds of quotas: cohort and age quotas. I show that this distinction is often hidden behind the use of the phrase ‘youth quotas’ and argue that both kinds of quotas should be seriously considered.