Racial discrimination in politics

Discrimination in politics on the grounds of race, colour, national or ethnic origin leads to the domination of one group by another. Discrimination may be legalized and take the form of the denial of the right to vote, the right to organize political parties, stand for election, or enter the civil service.

A few countries still have legalized discrimination of this kind, but in a larger number it is more discrete, taking the form of voting qualification, the violation of electoral procedure, or intimidation by employers and other members of a dominant group. In the civil service top posts may be withheld from naturalized citizens, or a 'national' policy may be followed, as in Kenya's Africanization policy. Political parties on the basis of race may be banned.