This website uses cookies.

By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site performance and traffic. For more information on our use of cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

Racial and Ethnic Representation in Local Government

  • Brian Beach
  • Daniel B. Jones
  • Tate Twinam
  • Randall Walsh
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
vol. 16, no. 2, May 2024
(pp. 1-36)
Download Full Text PDF

Abstract

Does the presence of underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in a legislative body differentially impact outcomes for members of those groups? We study close elections between White and non-White candidates for California city council and the corresponding impact on housing values, a summary statistic for neighborhood investment. We find electing non-White rather than White candidates generates differential home value gains in majority non-White neighborhoods. This result, which is not explained by correlations between candidate race and political affiliation or neighborhood racial composition and income, suggests that increased representation can reduce racial disparities. Our results strengthen with increased city-level segregation and council member pivotality.

Citation

Beach, Brian, Daniel B. Jones, Tate Twinam, and Randall Walsh. 2024. "Racial and Ethnic Representation in Local Government." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 16 (2): 1-36. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20200430

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • D72 Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
  • J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
  • R23 Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics
There are no comments for this article.
Login to Comment