Contemporary electoral discourses in Kuwait stress a “tribal advantage” that boosts the representation of tribe-affiliated Kuwaitis in the National Assembly and undermines the character of Kuwaiti democracy. We draw on survey data, elite interviews, and election returns to assess the validity of these claims. Kuwaiti responses in a survey of political attitudes cast doubt on the hypothesis that members of tribes are likelier to view voting as a quid-pro-quo exchange for government services. Election returns suggest a slight over-representation of tribe-affiliated Kuwaitis writ large, but as a result of the interaction of larger post-2006 electoral districts with tribal electoral coordination rather than as a result of government design. Additionally, electoral returns offer evidence of growing tribal coordination intended to ensure representation within the National Assembly, albeit one disrupted by changes in electoral laws. We conclude by highlighting the possibility of electoral appeals that build on, rather than restrict themselves to, ascriptive identities.

科威特当代选举话语强调“部落优势”，它提高了隶属部落的科威特人在国民议会中的代表性，并破坏了科威特民主的特征。我们利用调查数据、精英访谈和选举结果来评估这些说法的有效性。科威特在一项政治态度调查中的回应对部落成员更有可能将投票视为政府服务的交换条件这一假设提出了质疑。选举结果表明，隶属于部落的科威特人的比例略微偏高，但这是 2006 年后更大的选区与部落选举协调的相互作用的结果，而不是政府设计的结果。此外，选举结果表明，旨在确保在国民议会中的代表权的部落协调不断增加，尽管这种协调因选举法的变化而中断。最后，我们强调了建立在而不是限制在归属身份之上的选举呼吁的可能性。