Do the Benefits of Descriptive Representation Require a Specific Match?

• In Event: Race and Political Representation

Abstract

Do the benefits of descriptive representation require a specific match? That is, do minority constituents achieve greater political equality only when they are represented by an elected official who is a member of the same minority group? Or will any minority do? This paper explores whether descriptive representation increases responsiveness by elected officials to constituents who are either co-ethnics (i.e., non-white citizens from the representative’s racial or ethnic group) or co-minorities (i.e., non-white citizens from a different racial or ethnic group). While we know a lot about the benefits of descriptive representation within racial minority groups (Bratton and Haynie, 1999; Bratton et al., 2007, 2008; Canon, 1999; Fenno, 2003; Grose, 2011; Tate, 2003), we know a lot less about representation between groups. It is not clear, for example, whether Black constituents are represented any better by a Hispanic legislator than by a white legislator. In order to answer these questions, we conduct an audit experiment of more than 900 state legislators in which each Black (Hispanic) legislator receives an email from a Black (Hispanic) co-ethnic or from a Hispanic (Black) co-minority constituent requesting information. By randomly assigning each legislator to either the co-ethnic or co-minority treatment groups we are able to estimate the effect of co-minority bias on legislative responsiveness. Although we expect legislators to be more responsive to co-ethnic cues on average, we suspect that the effects of co-ethnic and co-minority cues vary with the race of the legislator. Experiences with discrimination are stronger in the Black community than they are in the Hispanic community. Even though Hispanics also face discrimination in the U.S., they do not have to cope with the legacies of slavery and state-sanctioned segregation (Garcia, 1988). We thus expect Black legislators to see themselves as belonging to a larger marginalized community (Adida et al., 2016) and to be more sensitive to both co-ethnic and co-minority cues. We expect Hispanic legislators to be less responsive to co-minority cues than are Blacks. Our findings will shed light on the interethnic dynamics of descriptive representation in the context of an increasingly diverse polity.

Authors

• Viviana Rivera-Burgos, Columbia University

• Julia Maria Rubio, Columbia University