Does the descriptive representation of the working class “crowd out” women and minorities (and vice versa)? Evidence from the Local Elections in America Project

Abstract

If working-class Americans begin holding political office in larger numbers, could they eventually “crowd out” other historically underrepresented groups such as women and minorities? This paper develops a simple theory to predict when the descriptive representation of one social group will decrease the descriptive representation of others. I then use the Local Elections in America Project's data to explore the links between the racial, gender, and social class makeup of candidates and officeholders in more than 18,000 local and county elections in California. The descriptive representation of workers does not seem to reduce female or minority representation. To the contrary, many working-class candidates are women and minorities, and those who are not do not seem to pose any threat of crowding out other historically underrepresented groups.