Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- 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
- References
- Index
6 - Direct Discrimination
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2014
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- 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
- References
- Index
Summary
Imagine yourself as a state legislator with numerous responsibilities. Throughout the year you work with your fellow state legislators to research issues and pass laws that will best serve your state. You spend time in hearings to ensure that the state bureaucracy is correctly implementing the laws you have passed. If you live in a state with a citizen legislature, you likely also have a full-time job in the private sector to help support you and your family. You have to keep an active profile in the community so your constituents will know what you are doing and will reelect you. In addition to all this, you receive e-mails and letters from constituents seeking your help. In any given week you receive hundreds of e-mails regarding your legislative responsibilities.
Now imagine that you are up for reelection next month. While you are extremely busy in a normal week, during the campaign season you are stretched even further. In a normal week you do not have time to answer all the e-mails you receive; during campaign season, it is even harder. You have to prioritize your efforts. In that situation, how would you treat the following e-mail?
Dear Representative,
My name is Jake Mueller and I’m trying to figure out how to register to vote for the upcoming election. I heard that the voter registration deadline is soon.
Who should I call in order to register? Also, is there anything special I need to do when I register so that I can vote in future primary elections?
Thanks,
Jake Mueller
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Representing the AdvantagedHow Politicians Reinforce Inequality, pp. 84 - 116Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2014