BLACK AND HISPANIC COUNCIL REPRESENTATION - DOES COUNCIL SIZE MATTER

The authors use black and Hispanic representation on city councils to address the proposition that the size of an elective body is related t o minority officeholding in that body. A conceptual framework of the n ature of minority representation and the types of differences that cou ncil size can make are examined using national survey data for 525 cit ies. The results support the position that council size does not expla in the strength of minority representation but that larger councils pr ovide a greater opportunity for minority incumbency. This effect is st rongest in at-large election cities. For blacks, the strongest effect is found for at-large election cities in the South.