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Race, Representation and Local Governments in the US South: the effect of the Voting Rights Act

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  • Facchini, Giovanni
  • Bernini, Andrea
  • Testa, Cecilia

Abstract

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 redefined race relations in the US South. Yet, evidence on its effect on black office-holding remains scant. Using novel data on black elected officials between 1962-1980, we assess the causal impact of the VRA on the racial make-up of local governments in the Deep South. Exploiting predetermined differential exposure of US Southern counties to the VRA mandated federal intervention, we show that the latter fostered local black office-holding, particularly in the powerful county commissions, controlling local public finances. The change in the racial composition of county governments led to faster capital spending growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Facchini, Giovanni & Bernini, Andrea & Testa, Cecilia, 2018. "Race, Representation and Local Governments in the US South: the effect of the Voting Rights Act," CEPR Discussion Papers 12774, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:12774
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jean Lacroix, 2023. "Ballots Instead of Bullets? The Effect of the Voting Rights Act on Political Violence," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 21(2), pages 764-813.
    2. Calderon, Alvaro & Fouka, Vasiliki & Tabellini, Marco, 2021. "Racial Diversity and Racial Policy Preferences: The Great Migration and Civil Rights," IZA Discussion Papers 14488, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Giovanni Facchini & Brian Knight & Cecilia Testa, 2020. "The Franchise, Policing, and Race: Evidence from Arrests Data and the Voting Rights Act," Working Papers 2020-18, Brown University, Department of Economics.
    4. Bernt Bratsberg & Giovanni Facchini & Tommaso Frattini & Anna Cecilia Rosso, 2023. "Are political and economic integration intertwined?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(360), pages 1265-1306, October.
    5. Biavaschi, Costanza & Facchini, Giovanni, 2020. "Immigrant Franchise and Immigration Policy: Evidence from the Progressive Era," IZA Discussion Papers 13195, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Bernini, Andrea & Facchini, Giovanni & Tabellini, Marco & Testa, Cecilia, 2023. "Black Empowerment and White Mobilization: The Effects of the Voting Rights Act," CEPR Discussion Papers 18238, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. Kainuma, Shuhei, 2024. "Transition to broader-based politics: The role of suffrage extension in early 20th century Japan," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    8. Navid Sabet, 2023. "Out of the Shadows and into the Classroom: Immigrant Legalization, Hispanic Schooling and Hispanic Representation on School Boards," CESifo Working Paper Series 10677, CESifo.
    9. Andrea Bernini & Giovanni Facchini & Marco Tabellini & Cecilia Testa, 2024. "Sixty Years of the Voting Rights Act: Progress and Pitfalls," Economics Series Working Papers 1035, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    10. Calderon, Alvaro & Fouka, Vasiliki & Tabellini, Marco, 2021. "Racial Diversity, Electoral Preferences, and the Supply of Policy: The Great Migration and Civil Rights," IZA Discussion Papers 14312, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Alvaro Calderon & Vasiliki Fouka & Marco Tabellini, 2021. "Racial Diversity and Racial Policy Preferences: The Great Migration and Civil Rights," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2133, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    12. Kyle Raze, 2022. "Voting rights and the resilience of Black turnout," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(3), pages 1127-1141, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Minority rights; Enfranchisement; Local elections; Identity politics; Public good provision;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • N92 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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