Legislator Background, Representation, and Policy Content in Congress

• In Event: Representation in the United States Congress

Abstract

A vast literature debates if and how descriptive representation translates to substantive representation. Though studies of race and gender routinely find that members of groups that are marginalized in American politics introduce more bills related to issues important to their groups, we do not know if these differences represent increased “quality,” or simply a higher “quantity,” of this legislation. Using data on the policy tools drafted into legislation (policy content scores) derived from the text of 13,770 bills introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives between 2005-2012, I move beyond assessing the agenda setting behavior of legislators to address questions related to substantive policy representation. I find that when marginalized legislators introduce legislation related to their in-group interests, they include more policy content compared to similarly situated out-group colleagues. I argue that these findings provide new evidence that descriptive representation enhances substantive policy representation for women and people of color in the United States. The differences in agenda-setting uncovered in existing research is not solely a function of messaging bills, legislators draft these bills with more punishment, incentive, and oversight tools.

Author

• Erinn K Lauterbach, Villanova University