List of Figures and Tables vii Preface and Acknowledgments ix I. Introduction 1 Chapter 1. The Puzzle of Representation 3 II. Black Members of Congress 23 Chapter 2. Black Members of Congress 25 Chapter 3. The Elections of Blacks to Congress 51 III. Representing Black Interests 71 Chapter 4. Legislative Styles and Voting Records 73 Chapter 5. Symbols and Substance 96 IV. The View from Black Constituents 111 Chapter 6. Blacks' Evaluations of House Members: Does Race Matter? 113 Chapter 7. Descriptive Representation and Black Political Empowerment 132 Chapter 8. Descriptive Representation and Trust in Government 143 V. Conclusion 153 Chapter 9. The Future of Black Faces in the U.S. Congress 155 Appendix A. The 1996 National Black Election Study 171 Appendix B. List of Black Members of the U.S. Congress 183 Notes 197 References 199 Index 207
Black Faces in the Mirror is an important new work. It contributes significantly to recent debates about the value of majority-minority congressional districts created in the 1990 redistricting, and to their impact upon descriptive, substantive, and symbolic representation. Tate's research design allows her to compare party, race, political sphere, and types of representation through survey research of African American citizens linked with home style analysis of 252 members of Congress, who represent various parties and racial groups. Unlike previous scholars, Tate systematically compares black and white members, and examines the views of a significant sample of black citizens with a large survey of House members across racial and ethnic boundaries. Her work more precisely captures subtle differences in the ways African American citizens view descriptive, substantive, and symbolic representation. Tate's sophisticated analysis will be read widely and avidly by public officials, graduate and undergraduate faculty and students, and political activists. -- Dianne Pinderhughes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign For a comprehensive treatment of African-American representation in Congress, this is the work to read. Among its attractions is a fresh set of nationwide survey data. -- David Mayhew, Yale University, author of "America's Congress" This is an important and well-timed work that examines black representation from the perspective of ordinary black Americans. Tate does not pick a side in the debate over race and representation and cheer for her team. Instead, she allows the data to dictate her findings. This book will be much discussed in the fields of politics, law, and race. -- David Lublin, American University The combination of perspectives and analyses in this interesting study--unique so far as I know--makes it especially important. By looking at both the represented and the representative, Tate is able to ask and at least tentatively answer several critical questions about race and representation. -- Barbara Sinclair, University of California, Los Angeles
Katherine Tate is Professor and Chair of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. She is the author of From Protest to Politics and coauthor of African Americans and the American Political System (Fourth Edition).
One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2003 Winner of the Race, Ethnicity, and Public Policy Best Book Award, American Political Science Association Winner of the 2004-2005 V.O. Key Book Award, Southern Political Science Association Co-Winner of the 2005 W.E.B. Du Bois Book Award, National Conference of Black Political Scientists "A thorough, thoughtful, and sophisticated discussion of the evidence... [Tate] has combined theory, hard data, and real-world politics to produce a concise and interesting work on an important issue. This scholarly yet very readable book is a must-read for students of Congress or minority group politics."--Choice "A major contribution to the field of Congressional Studies and black politics."--Lewis A. Randolph, Journal of African American History
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