Description
Book SynopsisExamines the significance of race in the US system of representative democracy for African Americans. This work examines whether black members of the US House legislate and represent their constituents differently than white members do. It also looks at the issue of representation from the perspective of ordinary African Americans.
Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2003 Winner of the Race, Ethnicity, and Public Policy Best Book Award, American Political Science Association Winner of the 2004-2005 V.O. Key Book Award, Southern Political Science Association Co-Winner of the 2005 W.E.B. Du Bois Book Award, National Conference of Black Political Scientists "A thorough, thoughtful, and sophisticated discussion of the evidence... [Tate] has combined theory, hard data, and real-world politics to produce a concise and interesting work on an important issue. This scholarly yet very readable book is a must-read for students of Congress or minority group politics."--Choice "A major contribution to the field of Congressional Studies and black politics."--Lewis A. Randolph, Journal of African American History
Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables vii Preface and Acknowledgments ix I. Introduction 1 Chapter 1. The Puzzle of Representation 3 II. Black Members of Congress 23 Chapter 2. Black Members of Congress 25 Chapter 3. The Elections of Blacks to Congress 51 III. Representing Black Interests 71 Chapter 4. Legislative Styles and Voting Records 73 Chapter 5. Symbols and Substance 96 IV. The View from Black Constituents 111 Chapter 6. Blacks' Evaluations of House Members: Does Race Matter? 113 Chapter 7. Descriptive Representation and Black Political Empowerment 132 Chapter 8. Descriptive Representation and Trust in Government 143 V. Conclusion 153 Chapter 9. The Future of Black Faces in the U.S. Congress 155 Appendix A. The 1996 National Black Election Study 171 Appendix B. List of Black Members of the U.S. Congress 183 Notes 197 References 199 Index 207
