Aug 6, 2020 · Descriptive representation—understood as a concern that the gender and ethnic composition of elected assemblies should roughly correspond to the gender and ethnic composition of their electorate—is increasingly accepted as a legitimate political aim, but also remains contested.

Descriptive representation, on the other hand, is generally seen as independent of policy actions. Instead, descriptive representation is the extent to which a representative or legislative body resembles a given constituent and her social or demographic identities.

May 13, 2016 · Descriptive representation, on the other hand, is generally seen as independent of policy actions. Instead, descriptive representation is the extent to which a representative or legislative body resembles a given constituent and her social or demographic identities.

Mar 10, 2011 · This article examines theoretical expectations on the importance of descriptive representation. It evaluates empirical evidence on the impact of race, gender, and ethnicity on the behavior of legislators.

Descriptive representation refers to the idea that elected representatives should mirror the demographics of the population they represent, including characteristics like race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Jul 5, 2022 · The study of descriptive representation by ethnorace—that is, the presence of elected officials who reflect descriptive characteristics of their constituents (Dovi 2002; Mansbridge 1999; Pitkin 1967)—is a hallmark of American politics research (Brown 2014; Butler and Broockman 2011; Canon and Posner 1999; Casellas 2010; Gay 2002; Grose 2011 ...

Mar 15, 2023 · Descriptive presentation is a means of invoking one’s identity, allowing representatives to describe or present themselves and who they represent. Descriptive presentation focuses on how representatives perform their identity, centering the actions and agency of representatives.

Fowler and Merolla (2012) define “descriptive representation” as whether an individual is represented at the congressional level by someone they share an ethnicity with.

Descriptive representation occurs when legislators or elected officials mirror the demographic characteristics of their constituents, such as race, gender, ethnicity, or age. It emphasizes the importance of having a legislature that visually and culturally resembles the population it serves.

Descriptive representation, on the other hand, is generally seen as independent of policy actions. Instead, descriptive representation is the extent to which a representative or legislative body resembles a given constituent and her social or demographic identities. We would say that a black constituent is descriptively

Jan 16, 2014 · The theory of descriptive representation suggests that having a descriptive representative at the congressional level should positively affect an individual's attitude toward his or her US House legislator, and may extend to government institutions.

In this article, we provide an intersectional analysis of two minoritized ethno-racial groups, African Americans and Latinos/as. Using data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, we explore the extent to which shared identity matters for perceptions of representation.

Mar 14, 2025 · Carlo Prato is currently an Associate Professor of Political Science at Columbia University. His research addresses three broad topics, how the distribution of information shapes the electoral process, how electoral rules shape legislative representation, and how legislative bodies choose the rules governing their deliberation.