Minority legislators and institutional influence

Abstract

Although the frequency of studies on Black and Mexican-American legislators has increased, little emphasis is given to the institutional politics which impact these groups. This analysis compares the political behavior and views of Blacks, Mexican-Americans and Anglos in the environmentally stable setting of the Texas House and finds that even in a system that treats minorities fairly in terms of distributing influence positions, minority members are much more likely to favor institutional reforms. A more careful analysis of the organizational dynamics of the Texas House reveals that minorities are successful only as a result of the Speaker's desire to accomodate them and that in spite of this accommodation, minority legislators favor institutional rules that guarantee fair treatment regardless of the speaker's whims.