How sports experiences shape policy formulation for athletes’ rights protection

This study aims to examine how sports experiences shape policy formulation for athletes’ rights protection based on representative bureaucracy theory. Using congressional reports from the 18th National Assembly (2008) to the 21st National Assembly (2024) and individual-level data on lawmakers’ sports and gender backgrounds, this study assesses the change of representativeness in sports policy within the South Korean Culture, Sports, and Tourism (SCT) Committee. The findings demonstrate that, first, the proportion of lawmakers with sports backgrounds and female lawmakers has increased over time. Second, lawmakers with sports backgrounds contribute significantly more to sports human rights policy formulation. Third, lawmakers who possess both a sports background and a female identity demonstrate a strong positive interaction effect, indicating that intersectionality enhances substantive representation. This study emphasizes the need for policy participation by individuals with diverse sports backgrounds, as their active engagement in the policy formulation process contributes to greater professional insight and better representation of stakeholder interests.