Collaborative Research: Electoral Systems, Suburbanization, and Representation

解决地方政府中选民代表问题的一个传统解决方案是废除大型的多成员选区，建立较小的单一赢家选区，其中一些选区旨在包括少数民族社区。虽然这种传统疗法在某些情况下可能有所帮助，但在快速变化的大都市地区，它很可能不起作用。随着居民迁入和迁出市中心和郊区，这样的地区很常见。一些郊区变得异质化，而另一些郊区变得同质化。在这种情况下，由于候选人征聘的性质，传统的补救办法，即建立较小的/单一赢家的地区，可能会适得其反，并限制对已确定的代表性问题的潜在补救办法的效力。本研究探讨了在持续的郊区化和士绅化的背景下，少数民族代表性可以实现的条件。该研究还将通过用户友好的网络界面向研究人员和公众提供丰富的细粒度数据。本研究探讨了在正在进行的郊区化和中产阶级化的背景下，可以实现描述性和实质性代表制的条件，特别关注用于地方治理的两种最重要的选举制度：多席位和单一成员地区多数。具体而言，该项目将包括大规模的数据收集工作，包括从1970年至今88个城市和22个学区的人口统计、候选人特征、制度结构和政策结果。项目组将对选民、民选官员和过去的候选人进行有代表性的调查。将对数据进行分析，以确定少数民族竞选地方公职并获得成功的条件，以及描述性代表性导致实质性代表性的条件。由于保护少数民族投票权和代表权的历史悠久的工具正在被法院宣告无效，这些数据将为与全国许多城市地区相关的新改革努力提供关键证据。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

One traditional solution to electoral concerns about constituent representation in local government is to abolish large multi-member districts and create smaller, single-winner electoral districts, some of which are designed to encompass minority neighborhoods. While this traditional remedy might help under some conditions, there is a strong possibility that it may not work as well in rapidly changing metro areas. Such areas are common, as residents migrate to and from city centers and suburban neighborhoods. Some suburban areas have become heterogeneous, while others have become homogeneous. In such contexts, because of the nature of candidate recruitment, the traditional remedy of creating smaller/single-winner districts could backfire and limit the effectiveness of potential remedy for identified representational concern. This study explores the conditions under which minority representation can be achieved in the context of ongoing suburbanization and gentrification. The study will also make a wealth of fine-grained data available to researchers and members of the public through a user-friendly web interface. The study explores the conditions under which descriptive and substantive representation can be achieved in the context of ongoing suburbanization and gentrification, paying special attention to two of the most important electoral systems used for local governance: multi-seat at-large and single-member district plurality. Specifically, the project will include a large-scale data collection effort combining population demographics, candidate characteristics, institutional structure, and policy outcomes for 88 municipalities and 22 school districts from 1970 to the present. The project team will conduct representative surveys of voters, elected officials, and past candidates. Data will be analyzed to identify the conditions under which minorities run for local office and are successful as well as the conditions under which descriptive representation leads to substantive representation. As time-honored tools for protecting minority voting rights and representation are being invalidated by courts, these data will provide crucial evidence regarding new reform efforts relevant to many urban areas around the country.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.