Should Congress Look Like America? Attitudes about Descriptive Representation

• In Event: Perceptions on Representatives and Legislative Compromise

Abstract

Descriptive representation is believed to provide both an important symbolic value for underrepresented groups such as women and minorities as well as policy benefits. Little is known, however, about how the public views diversity in representation. This paper examines attitudes about the gender and racial balance in the U.S. Congress in the context of the 2018 midterm election.. We propose and test several hypotheses. One hypothesis assumes that group self interest will motivate attitudes about representation. This leads one to expect that women and minorities will be more likely to believe that Congress should reflect diversity. Another theory assumes that racial and gender stereotypes will shape attitudes about the role of minorities and women in politics. A third explanation assumes that ideology will structure support. We test these hypotheses using experimental data measuring attitudes about the gender and ethnic representation of the U.S. Congress collected during the 2018 election.The analysis has implications for our understanding of public attitudes about government and institutions as well as understanding how concerns about minority representation structure support for electoral reform

Author

• Jeffrey A. Karp, Brunel University London