While the presence of black legislators does decrease the use of fines, fines may reduce minority representation in legislatures by depressing minority turnout.
Analyzing data from over 9,000 cities, the authors found that those with larger black populations are more likely to use fines to generate revenue. However, the authors also found that “the presence of black council members [descriptive representation] significantly reduces the relationship between race and fines.”
“If the presence of black representatives on city councils gives black citizens a channel to deliver complaints and concerns regarding unequal treatment, descriptive representation may reduce a city’s use of fines.”
The authors used Census of Governments and 2010 Census data, focusing only on those municipalities with police and court systems (because those systems are necessary to issue fines) and populations greater than 2,500. The total sample size was 9,143 municipalities. Fines data was then combined with Census population information to highlight the relationships between black populations, representation, and fines.
You can read the full study here, but it is behind a paywall.
Key Findings
- There is a correlation between municipal governments with higher black populations and reliance on fines and fees for revenue: the average municipality in the authors’ sample generates $8 per capita from fines and fees compared with $20 per capita in cities with larger black populations.
- The presence of black city council members significantly reduces – though does not eliminate – this pattern.
- While the presence of black legislators does decrease the use of fines, fines may reduce minority representation in legislatures by depressing minority turnout.