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

主要调查人员：凯瑟琳·布拉顿和斯特拉·劳斯标题：博士论文研究：拉美裔在美国立法机构中的代表性摘要该项目关注的是，拉美裔在立法政治中的存在增加是否会转化为政治影响力。具体地说，这项研究探索了六个州立法机构中拉丁裔描述性代表和实质性代表之间的联系。这项研究分析了拉美裔“利益”是如何定义的，这些利益是否以及如何在立法过程中得到推进，以及立法机构中的种族多样性如何影响立法结果。该项目借鉴了之前对种族、性别和代表权的研究，将描述性代表制模型(在这种模式下，即使考虑到选民和党派关系，立法者的种族也会影响行为)与选举代表制模式进行了对比，在选举代表制模式中，选民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会改变多数人的行为？立法机构内部的多样性对政策结果有什么影响？该项目将借鉴以前关于性别和种族在立法领域的作用的研究，在拉丁裔立法者的情况下审查这些问题。将使用多种方法(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，考察了立法行为的种族差异，从赞助人阶段到点名程序的通过阶段。其次，该项目探索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，审查拉美裔代表在议院中的存在增加，以及增加的正式影响力是否影响个人立法行为和立法结果。2001年和2005年从六个州立法机构(加利福尼亚州、亚利桑那州、佛罗里达州、伊利诺伊州、新墨西哥州和德克萨斯州)收集的一组数据用于该项目。该项目还包括一个重要的质量部分，基于对来自不同地区的拉丁裔和非拉丁裔州议员的采访。鉴于构成“拉丁裔问题”(如移民)的许多相关问题都是新提上政治议程的，这些采访特别有价值。该项目将在先前关于性别、种族和代表性的经验工作的基础上，促进学术知识。该项目的优点进一步得到加强，因为它采用多种方法探讨描述性代表和实质性代表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.