Policy Responsiveness To the Black Electorate

The relationship between the black voting age population (BVAP) and legislative responsiveness to black policy interests is explored in the context of the Mississippi House of Representatives. Roll call votes on redistributive social welfare programs are used as a measure of black policy preferences. Since blacks are usually not numerous enough to control legislative bodies and since no redistricting scheme can guarantee a black legislative majority in any state, their policy preferences become public only if supported by a coalition of black and white representatives. We find that the relationship between BVAP and legislative responsiveness is curvilinear, with support lowest among legislators representing districts 25% to 29.9% black. Support for redistributive legislation goes up as BVAP increases and then remains high for districts with BVAPs from 40% to 54.9%. Generational replacement, but not the incidence of poverty in a constituency, is also associated with legislative responsiveness to black policy interests.