Representation by the Minute: The Influence of Ethnicity, Partisanship and District Fit on Legislator One-Minute Floor Speeches.

Much of the research on minority representation in the U.S. House has focused on how group preferences are reflected in recorded votes, yet most opportunities for position-taking exist outside the roll call arena. This research explores the conditions under which descriptive representation enhances substantive representation by examining an area where members have a great deal of freedom to register their preferences - speeches on the House floor. Using a novel database of immigration-related one-minute speeches from the 109th-113th Congress, this research explores both the decision to deliver and the position taken in speech on the floor. It finds that not only do Latino members devote a greater share of attention to the issue of immigration than their colleagues, but they take distinct positions that are more reflective of Latino interests, and they are less vulnerable to district pressures than their non-Latino colleagues. These results suggest a clear value in descriptive representation and more diverse legislatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]