We’re All in This Together? Panethnic Identity and Bureaucratic Representation

• In Event: Representative Bureaucracy: New Directions and New Evidence

Abstract

From the earliest works on representative bureaucracy, an association between demographic characteristics and bureaucratic values has been considered. While scholars have devoted considerable attention to understanding the conditions under which the demographic makeup of the bureaucracy’s personnel (passive representation) affects distributional policy outcomes (active representation) (e.g., Keiser et al. 2002, 2010), little attention has been paid to how the lines of social group boundaries are defined. Drawing on studies of panethnicity from political science and sociology, this paper asks the question: How should demographic group boundaries be drawn when considering representation within a bureaucratic context? Specifically, we consider whether bureaucrats actively represent the interests of citizens with whom they share a common panethnic identity (such as Hispanic or Asian) when there is a difference in country of origin. For example, does a Chinese-American bureaucrat actively represent the interests of a Filipino-American? The issue of panethnic identity is particularly relevant in the U.S. context when considering the implications of bureaucratic politics for Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians. We conduct an empirical test using organizational-level panel data from California public schools, which report demographic information that distinguishes among multiple ethnic subgroups (e.g., Filipino, Pacific Islander) that are typically grouped into a broader panethnic category (e.g., Asian American). Results indicate that within one panethnic group, the link between passive representation (among teachers) and active representation (student test performance) is stronger when the subgroup of a teacher matches that of a student. The findings suggest the importance of considering heterogeneity within any demographic category and highlight the importance of nation of origin as a salient identity within the context of public administration.

Authors

• Nathan Favero, American University

• Minjung Kim, American University