Representation and Revenue in U.S. Local Governments

• In Event: Inequality, State, and Local Policy

Abstract

Who pays for local government? Over the past several years, scholars of local government have investigated the link between the racial makeup of local populations and reliance on exploitative revenue. Their findings indicate that cities with larger Black populations may rely more heavily on revenues from fines and forfeitures. One recent account argues that the fiscal stresses of the 1980s led local policymakers to rely on predatory criminal justice practices as a source of much-needed revenue. These accounts suggest that people of color, the poor, and the working class may pay more than their fair share of the cost of local government. However, some claims have not been tested with quantitative data while others are limited by data constraints. This study leverages detailed, original data on the characteristics of local politicians to examine the relationship between representation and local revenue sources with a focus on descriptive representation in terms of race, ethnicity, and social class.

Author

• Patricia Kirkland, Columbia University - School of International & Public Affairs