Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and the Racialization of Attitudes Toward Descriptive Representation

Abstract

Who is most likely to consider diverse representation desirable? Previous literature typically emphasizes the importance of partisanship and group identity congruence (i.e., women representing women) in influencing attitudes about descriptive representation. Alternatively, we test whether the racialized politics that emerged in 2016 might now shape views about representation by members of underrepresented groups. Using data from the 2016 ANES, we examine attitudes toward increasing the number of women and Hispanic representatives. Rather than partisanship or identity congruence, our results point to the primacy of racial attitudes, linked fate, and feminism in shaping views about diverse representation. Indeed, even when examining attitudes about increased representation by women, we find strong evidence that opinions are now racialized. We argue for a more expansive understanding of support for descriptive representation, which may reflect an individual’s opinions of marginalized groups and structural inequities more broadly.