Race, Representation, and Confidence in Government: Evidence from the United States, 1973-2016

• In Event: 3446 - Contemporary Issues in Public Opinion Research: Inequality, Representation, and Populism

Abstract

African Americans’ legislative representation has increased steadily since the 1970s. What has been the effect on confidence in government? An analysis of data from 29 waves of the General Social Survey finds that while Whites were once more confident than Blacks in government, the opposite is now true. Results suggest that African Americans’ increasing descriptive representation in Congress contributed to this reversal. African Americans’ growing legislative representation was not associated with similar changes in confidence in other institutions, suggesting that findings do not reflect a more general shift in institutional confidence. Overall, this article finds evidence of a relationship between long-term changes in the racial composition of Congress and widespread shifts in public opinion. These findings also underscore the importance of institutional representation for institutional confidence.

Author

• Timothy L. O'Brien, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee