Representing the Advantaged
How Politicians Reinforce Inequality

This book argues that a significant amount of bias in representation traces its roots to the information, opinions, and attitudes that politicians bring to office.

Daniel M. Butler (Author)

9781107075726, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 14 July 2014

158 pages, 6 b/w illus. 2 maps 20 tables
23.5 x 15.5 x 1.6 cm, 0.38 kg

'Representing the Advantaged is one of the most important books on representation that I have read in a long time. The methodological approach is innovative, the theoretical insights are illuminating, and the results - particularly regarding the unique disadvantages that racial and ethnic minorities face - are disconcerting. Butler does a tremendous job of highlighting a central weakness in our democracy.' Vincent Hutchings, University of Michigan

Political inequality is a major issue in American politics, with racial minorities and low-income voters receiving less favorable representation. Scholars argue that this political inequality stems largely from differences in political participation and that if all citizens participated equally we would achieve political equality. Daniel M. Butler shows that this common view is incorrect. He uses innovative field and survey experiments involving public officials to show that a significant amount of bias in representation traces its roots to the information, opinions, and attitudes that politicians bring to office and suggests that even if all voters participated equally, there would still be significant levels of bias in American politics because of differences in elite participation. Butler's work provides a new theoretical basis for understanding inequality in American politics and insights into what institutional changes can be used to fix the problem.

1. Representatives as the source of bias
2. When can representation break down?
3. Details of the constituency-service field experiments
4. Bias in the way officials process constituents' opinions
5. Information costs and officials' proactive effort levels
6. Direct discrimination
7. Bias in politics.

Subject Areas: Political science & theory [JPA]