Some studies suggest that politicians are more likely to respond to constituents that share their ethnicity than those that don't. This is a bit disturbing I think. Does this suggest a need to have a diverse legislature in order to reflect the interests of a diverse population?
We can consider this in both 2301 and 2302. Does this present a civil rights issue - equal protection? And for 2302 what does this tell us about the ability of legislatures to in fact fulfill its role as a representative institution? Are certain interests more likely to be represented than others? There is plenty of evidence to suggest that this is indeed the case, but these studies help us understand how that occurs, and suggests a remedy.
It might be appropriate to consider these argument when we discuss - in both classes - racial gerrymandering.
