Representation: preferences, priorities, and tradeoffs

This dissertation investigates whether citizens are willing to make tradeoffs between descriptive and substantive representation. Answering this question is critical to efforts to maximize satisfaction with government for both minorities and members of the majority. This study makes four main contributions. First, it investigates how citizens, not scholars, evaluate descriptive and substantive representation. Although the stockpile of studies on the two types of representation has grown dramatically, the citizen’s perspective has been noticeably absent. Second, in using an experiment, the study estimates not only the independent effects of the two aspects of representation, but also the interactive effects, which in turn speaks to how willing citizens are to make tradeoffs. Third, the study facilitates deriving implications for maximizing satisfaction with governmental decisions across majority and minority groups. Finally, the study investigates the role of innumeracy in shaping people’s preferences for representation. I find that maximizing satisfaction for both minorities and the majority is indeed possible. Proportional or higher descriptive representation compensates for unfavorable substantive representation for minorities, and members of the majority are willing to accept such representational arrangements.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Political Science

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Hayes, Matthew

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kuklinski, James H.
• Gaines, Brian J.
• Mondak, Jeffery J.
• Wong, Cara J.

• Representation
• race
• procedural justice
• process preferences

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 Matthew J. Hayes

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44291

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/44291