From Passive to Active Representation—Experimental Evidence on the Role of Normative Values in Shaping White and Minority Bureaucrats’ Policy Attitudes

Studies of representative bureaucracy have shown how minority groups are often underrepresented in public agencies (passive representation) and that the match between bureaucrats' and clients' racial background has important impacts on minority groups (active representation). Much less attention has been devoted to the question of what influences this link from passive to active representation, and, in this case, what factors moderate how bureaucrats' demographic background transforms into attitudes toward multicultural policies. A survey experiment among Texas school principals shows how emphasizing the normative value of ethnic and cultural differences increases the discrepancy between white and minority bureaucrats' attitudes toward a minority-supportive policy. However, emphasizing that research-based evidence supports the policy makes all bureaucrats more positive. These results increase our understanding of how the link between passive and active representation can be moderated.