Language discrimination in politics

Active political prejudice on basis of language
Prejudicial treatment of linguistic minorities in government

Nature

Citizens of a country may be denied the right to vote because they cannot pass a literacy test in a language which is not their mother tongue. This requirement gives advantages to members of the dominant language group and serves as a way to exclude non-members from participation in government. Language tests for immigration may be more lenient than those for voting. This kind of discrimination may affect naturalized immigrants or members of a plural society.

Background

Language discrimination in politics emerged as a recognized global issue in the 20th century, particularly with the rise of nationalist movements and decolonization. International attention intensified following reports of minority language suppression in legislative, electoral, and administrative processes, notably in post-Soviet states, South Asia, and Africa. Scholarly and policy debates have since highlighted how language-based exclusion shapes political participation, prompting international organizations to monitor and address linguistic rights in governance.

Incidence

Constitutions of multilingual societies such as Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Lesotho, Sierra Leone and Uganda require the command of English for election to the central legislative; while French is mandatory in Cameroon, Congo, Mali, and Niger.

Counter-claim

So many languages are spoken in the world (upwards of 2,500) and so many language groups are so small (consisting perhaps of only a few hundred persons) that they can scarcely all have equal status. Sufficient ground for differentiation exists, so differentiation is inevitable.