The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Coalitional Representation of Latinxs in the U.S. House of Representatives
2019-08
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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Coalitional Representation of Latinxs in the U.S. House of Representatives
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2019-08
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Scholars have established that having descriptive, surrogate representation for minority racial groups in Congress translates to effective substantive representation of those groups through certain legislative behaviors. For Latinxs, though, the relationship between racial identity and political representation is more complex. Latinidad--or Latinx identity--encompasses people of many national origins, genders, and experiences who have a variety of political interests and preferences. How, then, is it possible for Latinx representatives to accurately and adequately represent this multitude of interests when there is seemingly no unfying experience with which to draw Latinxs together? In this dissertation, I argue that the answer comes in the form of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and its efforts to engage in what I call coalitional representation. Unlike theories of descriptive and surrogate representation, which focus on the efficacy of individual legislators and their relationships with racial minority groups, coalitional representation foregrounds the relationship between groups of legislators such as the CHC and their target constituency. Using a mixed methods approach, I explore the relationship between the Latinx community and the CHC as its coalitional representative in the House of Representatives. Using an interpretive approach that draws on the CHC's archival documents and elite interviews with CHC members and staffers, I trace the history of the CHC and how the group has adapted to the shifting political context as it attempts to represent the Latinx community. I also show that the CHC pushes an inclusive notion of Latinidad that takes into account the intersectionality of Latinx identity, resulting in CHC behaviors that are more inclusive and provide representation for a greater number of Latinxs. I then quantitatively assess the CHC's efficacy as a coalitional representative. While the group does not seem effective based on traditional measures of legislative effectiveness such as passing legislation, the CHC is still an effective coalitional representative by engaging in other behaviors that help boost the voices of the Latinx community throughout American political institutions. The effectiveness of the CHC at representing the Latinx community by boosting its voice in Congress as well as other political institutions is of enormous importance at a time that Latinxs are facing increasing discrimination in the U.S. Through its practice of coalitional representation the CHC pushes American political institutions toward being both more representative and democratic, especially as the group continues to grow both in size and political power in the House of Representatives.
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University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. August 2019. Major: Political Science. Advisor: Kathryn Pearson. 1 computer file (PDF); vi, 270 pages.
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Munoz, Avram. (2019). The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Coalitional Representation of Latinxs in the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/209116.
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