City Managers, Police Chiefs, and Fire Chiefs in the South: Testing for Determinants and Impact of Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action

Abstract

This study analyzes (1) the extent to which city managers, police chiefs, and fire chiefs in southern municipalities support affirmative action recruitment, (2) the factors which shape these attitudes, and (3) the extent to which bureaucratic attitudes contribute to actual recruitment patterns. Based predominantly on survey research, findings indicate that each set of public employers supports the principle of affirmative action. Yet, they are much less supportive of its implementation. Primary determinants of attitudes are found in demographic, political, and personal characteristics. In the case of affirmative action in the South, bureaucratic attitudes have negligible impact on bureaucratic behavior. Questions are raised about the linkages in the theory of representative bureaucracy.