Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Latino Representation in U.S. Legislatures: Interests, Behavior, and Influence

主要研究者：Kathleen Bratton和Stella Rouse标题：博士论文研究：拉丁裔在美国立法机构的代表性摘要这个项目的重点是拉丁裔在立法政治中的存在是否增加转化为政治影响力。具体而言，研究探讨了拉丁美洲的描述性和实质性的代表性在六个州的立法机构之间的联系。 本研究分析了拉丁美洲人的“利益”是如何定义的，这些利益是否以及如何通过立法程序推进，以及立法机构内的种族多样性如何影响立法结果。 借鉴以往的研究在种族，性别和代表性，该项目对比了描述性的代表性模型（其中立法者的种族影响行为，即使考虑到选区和党派）与选举代表性模型，其中选区是立法者行为的主要动机。 主要的研究问题包括：立法机构内部的多样性是否改变了大多数人的行为？ 立法机构内部的多样性对政策结果有什么影响？该项目将借鉴以往关于性别和种族在立法竞技场中的作用的研究，审查拉丁美洲立法者的这些问题。 本研究将采用多种方法（包括回归分析、内容分析和网络分析）来研究三个主要问题。首先，种族差异的立法行为，从发起阶段的唱名表决过程中的通过阶段，进行了检查。第二，这个项目探讨了拉丁裔代表是否通过建立合作网络来最大限度地发挥他们的影响力。第三，审查拉丁裔代表在会议厅中的增加以及正式影响力的增加是否会影响个人的立法行为和立法结果。一组数据收集从六个州的立法机构（加州，亚利桑那州，佛罗里达，伊利诺伊州，新墨西哥州，得克萨斯州）在2001年和2005年用于这个项目。 该项目还包括一个重要的定性组成部分，根据拉丁美洲和非拉丁美洲国家的立法者从各个地区的采访。 这些访谈特别有价值，因为构成“拉丁裔问题”的许多相关问题（如移民）新近被列入政治议程。 该项目将通过建立在性别，种族和代表性方面的经验工作来促进学术知识。 该项目的优点还在于它采用多种方法来探讨说明性代表性和实质性代表性之间的联系如何在立法机构内的不同阶段和不同条件下有所不同。

Primary Investigators: Kathleen Bratton and Stella Rouse Title: Doctoral Dissertation Research: Latino Representation in U.S. Legislatures0718783AbstractThis project focuses on whether increased Latino presence in legislative politics translates into political influence. Specifically, the research explores the link between Latino descriptive and substantive representation in six state legislatures. This research analyzes how Latino "interests" are defined, whether and how those interests are advanced through the legislative process, and how ethnic diversity within a legislature can influence legislative outcomes. Drawing on previous research in race, gender and representation, the project contrasts a descriptive representation model ( in which the ethnicity of a legislator influences behavior even when taking into account constituency and partisanship) with an electoral representation model, in which constituency is the primary motivator of legislator behavior. The major research questions include: Does diversity within legislatures change the behavior of majority individuals? What influence does diversity within legislatures have on policy outcomes? This project will examine these questions in the case of Latino legislators by drawing from previous research on the role of gender and race in the legislative arena. Multiple methods (including regression analysis, content analysis, and network analysis) will be used to examine three main issues. First, ethnic differences in legislative behavior, from the sponsorship stage to the passage stage of the roll-call process, are examined. Second, this project explores whether Latino representatives maximize their influence by building collaborative networks. And third, an examination of whether the increased presence of Latino representatives in a chamber, and increased formal influence, affects individual legislative behavior and legislative outcomes is conducted. A set of data collected from six state legislatures (California, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, and Texas) in 2001 and 2005 is used for this project. This project also includes a significant qualitative component, based on interviews of Latino and non-Latino state legislators from a variety of districts. These interviews are particularly valuable given that many of the relevant issues that make up "Latino issues" (such as immigration) are newly placed on the political agenda. The project will contribute to scholarly knowledge by building on prior empirical work on gender, race, and representation. The merit of the project is further enhanced in that it employs multiple methods to explore how the link between descriptive and substantive representation can vary at different stages and under different conditions within legislative institutions.