Should Blacks Represent Blacks and Women Represent Women? A Contingent "Yes"

@article{Mansbridge1999ShouldBR,
  title={Should Blacks Represent Blacks and Women Represent Women? A Contingent "Yes"},
  author={Jane J. Mansbridge},
  journal={The Journal of Politics},
  year={1999},
  volume={61},
  pages={628 - 657}
}
Disadvantaged groups gain advantages from descriptive representation in at least four contexts. In contexts of group mistrust and uncrystallized interests, the better communication and experiential knowledge of descriptive representatives enhances their substantive representation of the group's interests by improving the quality of deliberation. In contexts of historical political subordination and low de facto legitimacy, descriptive representation helps create a social meaning of "ability to… 
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Highly Influential Citations
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1,912 Citations

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