Having local elected officials whose demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation) broadly reflect those of their constituents correlates with greater feelings of political influence and engagement among otherwise underrepresented demographic groups. Research demonstrates that Black individuals who are represented by Black elected officials in Congress are more likely to be interested in and to vote in a House election and to disagree with the notion that they do not have a say in what government does.
Metric: The ratio of the share of the city council or county board from specific racial and ethnic groups to the share of city or county residents from those racial or ethnic groups
This metric measures the ratio of the share of the city council or county board from specific racial and ethnic groups to the share of city or county residents from those racial or ethnic groups.
Validity: Scholars of political science have used this metric in articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
Availability: Data on the racial or ethnic characteristics of city council or county boards can be collected locally either from public comments or campaign materials released by officials or directly from the local elected officials themselves. The racial and ethnic composition of residents in those districts can be calculated using data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Frequency: This metric can be updated as frequently as elections occur.
Geography: This metric can be calculated at the city or county level.
Consistency: This metric can be calculated the same way over time.
Subgroups: This metric accounts for race within its definition, but it may also be calculated for other subgroups.
Limitations: Although the movement of people in and out of the jurisdiction can influence this metric, it is likely to be far more sensitive to shifts in the composition of elected officials in the short term. Collecting information on the demographic characteristics of a local official may be challenging if they do not reveal this information publicly and are unwilling to report it to local data collectors.
