Education and Governance: Representational Links To Second Generation Discrimination

Abstract

cholarly attention to the question of how electoral structure affects minority representation has become a focus of research during the past decade. Davidson and Korbel (1981), Meier and England (1984), and Heilig and Mundt (1984) each provide reviews of this literature. Essentially, they confirm what Davidson and Korbel term the conventional hypothesis (1981: 92-93): that at-large elections systems dilute minority representation. (See, Karnig 1976; Robinson and Dye 1978; Engstrom and McDonald 1981; Meier, Stewart, and England 1989.) When local school boards change from at-large schemes to forms of district election, we expect expanded minority representation of those school boards.' More important than a symbolic change is the question of real policy impact. In this paper we examine the electoral and policy impact of changing from an at-large system to a districting system for school board elections in one state. By limiting our focus, we hope to avoid potential confounding caused by differences among Latino groups or by inter-state differences.2 Essentially we ask whether it makes a difference to