Disadvantaged groups gain advantages from descriptive representation in at least four contexts. Koch, J. In many areas of public administration and policy, the importance of descriptive representation or shared identity and perceived shared experience for racial and ethnic minorities is well documented. There are occasions where the pre-experimental. They are a concern whether a medication can cause damage to the fetal. This method allows a researcher to watch someones uninhibited reactions compared to surveys or case surveys where you can answer truthfully or untruthfully. Gender & Conflict Gender Action Portal Baker, A., & Cook, C. (2005). Schwindt-Bayer, L. A. 1996: 2). Some examples of descriptive investigations may be the following: Studying the penguin population that exists in the South Georgia Islands is a descriptive investigation that answers the what and where. & Kuklinski, J. H. (1979). During the fall 2022 semester, students across Harvard University examined women's education as both a preventative tool and as a perpetrator of conflict in a course taught by Rangita de Silva de Alwis, HKS Adjunct Professor of Public Policy. A current officeholder. There are three main types of descriptive methods: observational methods, case-study methods and survey methods. By analyzing data, researchers can identify trends that may not have been apparent otherwise. Indiana University, 210 Woodburn Hall, 1100 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95343, USA, You can also search for this author in Vincent. 6. Thequalityof poll workers,experienceswith voting equipment and technology, andevaluationsof polling locations can all affect how confident citizens are in elections. If a voter knows that their candidate is polling 20 points behind, then voting for that candidate is essentially a wasted vote. It is discussed in this paper as a means to enhance the declining legitimacy of Dutch works councils as important sites of democratic decision-making in their own right. That means those who serve in the government are less likely to focus on local issues as they have no local representation responsibilities. Given the important role that poll workers play as the street level bureaucrats that voters encounter and the role that descriptive representation can play in legitimizing government, it stands to reason that for minority voters, interacting with a poll worker of similar racial identity will increase confidence in elections. Although the analysis focused on black Americans, descriptive representation more than likely matters for other racial and ethnic groups who often do not see themselves reflected in the street level bureaucrats they regularly encounter. Atkeson, L. R. (2003). Instead, proper representation for some is rooted in the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, and sexual identity of the representatives themselves. Amazons Mechanical Turk is an online system through which workers can complete short tasks for compensation. New Haven: Yale University press. By using descriptive research in conjunction with other research methods, researchers can gain a more complete understanding of a particular topic or phenomenon. The authors would like to thank Bill Bianco, Eileen Braman, Christopher DeSante, Bernard Fraga, Brian Gaines, Jim Kuklinski, Jeff Mondak, Diana Z. OBrien, and Cara Wong for guidance and feedback on earlier drafts. The figure below presents the difference in the likelihood of a voter believing that their ballot, ballots locally, and ballots across the state are counted accurately with and without the presence of descriptive representation. Women and Public Policy Program The formal charging of a government official with "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors". (2009). Across all of our samples, the total number of African Americans is 287. Easton, D. (1975). Barnes, T. D. & Burchard, S. M. (2012). Some of the pros of grades include: Standardization and universally recognized: In virtually any corner of the globe, people will understand what an A, B, C, D, or F letter grade stands for. The American Political Science Review, 535547. pros and cons of descriptive representation. Do majority-minority districts maximize substantive black representation in congress? Bridgett King recently presented a paper at the 2018 annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association entitled, Descriptive Representation in Election Administration: Poll Workers and Voter Confidence. Here, Professor King summarizes her analysis from that paper. To carry out a descriptive research, it is necessary to know in advance the variables that will be analyzed, since this type of research is not dedicated to the search for variables, but to their study. As in all types of research, the data provided by descriptive research must be both accurate and reliable. This type of research is often used in the social sciences, but can be used in other disciplines as well. The strengths of naturalistic observations are better generalizing, subjects are comfortable which adds to higher degree of realism. There are woman that dont the help because is challenge to get mental health. (2005). In Belgium, the negotiations required after their 2010 election to form a governing coalition took 18 months to complete, leaving a crippled government in its place where nothing got done. - 167.99.130.146. More is better: The influence of collective female descriptive representation on external efficacy. Advantages and disadvantages of descriptive research. Journal of Politics, 67(2), 407428. 2, On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion. See Jane run: Women politicians as role models for adolescents. The research can utilize methods such as surveys, observation, field experiments, interviews and number analysis. To achieve this task, the researcher can choose between two different types of research designs, which have specific characteristics that differentiate them from each other. It is widely used in Europe and has both advantages and disadvantages. both the seat in the House of Representative and the Senate (Geiger et al). Scherer, N., & Curry, B. Conservatives and right-wing liberals have traditionally opposed it, while left-wing political parties and social movements often regard quotas for marginalized groups as decisive progressive measures in struggles for democracy and justice. Constituency opinion and congressional behavior: A reexamination of the Miller-Stokes representation data. Although this research is highly accurate, it does not gather the causes behind a situation. Descriptive representation allows for adequate communication in contexts of mistrust What is the relate-ability benefit of Descriptive Representation People will be more likely to communicate more with someone with whom they share a racial identity. Representing Yourself in Court. One area of the voting experience that has received little attention isdescriptive representation. However, what good representation should be is debated. Descriptive research is a great way to get a snapshot of a situation. Naturalistic Observation observing people in their natural setting. tion rights. Princeton: Princeton University Press. In the end, there is however a set of remaining pro arguments suggesting that descriptive representation produces some exclusive benefits. See appendix (Supplementary material) for detailed comparison of CCAP and MTurk data. Hero, R. E. & Tolbert, C. J. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Mansbridge, J. research is observational in nature and a type of correlational research, and is often contrasted with. Political power and womens representation in Latin America. California: University of California Press. Farmer's Empowerment through knowledge management. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(1), 35. This makes it easy for students to see where they stand in their academic performance. pros and cons of descriptive representation. The research carried out in a national census is descriptive, since it is only interested in data such as the number of population, the salary they receive, or what class the household is, without making any kind of analogy between these. 2. British Journal of Political Science, 5(4), 435457. 3. The party which receives the most votes in a proportional representation structure will work with other parties to form a full majority. All data and replication code for this paper can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.7910/DVN/JWXMFE. That means the 49% of people who voted Republican will be represented by somebody for whom they did not vote. (2010). Stealth democracy: Americans beliefs about how government should work. The collection of data is quick and easy to conduct, especially when doing surveys. It makes things easier for extreme parties to gain representation. Journal of Politics, 72, 90104. Given the strikingly similar results we find in each of our studies, we are confident that our results are not a statistical artifact due to the relatively small number of African Americans in any one sample. This may help you better understand research findings, whether reported in the mainstream media, or when reading a research study on your own. Should blacks represent blacks and women represent women? 4. This is different than a direct system of representation, where each seat is put up to a vote for a specific candidate, regardless of what party to which they associate. However, the disadvantages of descriptive research include that it can be limiting, cannot identify cause and effect, and may be biased. While it stands to reason that voters are more confident when candidates who areaffiliatedwith their political party win, what voters experience while casting a ballot can also contribute to their confidence in elections. It makes things easier for extreme parties to gain representation. The tyranny of the majority: Fundamental fairness in representative democracy. They have no way of having that vote be represented. However the disadvantages are; lack of control of variables, observer bias, limited to public places or certain types of behaviours, which may create ethical issues. It creates a system of government where more voices can be heard, but fewer actually receive a listening ear. Pros 1. The role of race, ethnicity, and party on attitudes toward descriptive representation. general atomics hourly pay how does felix react to the monster the chosen by taran matharu summary. Given this, confidence in the accuracy of elections and the outcomes that they produce requires that voters trust not only their local processes and procedures, but also those across their state and the nation. descriptive representation pros and cons Sign in what are the 3 ps of dissemination. Just 5 countries in the world today use a system that is based on plurality voting. 05.17.2018, https://electionlab.mit.edu/articles/descriptive-representation-election-administration. Constructing successful ways to reach goals necessary to make something as small as possible in the event of medication errors and patient safety. Descriptive research is a type of research that is used to describe a population or phenomenon. Sample : A Sample data set contains a . The reality of this type of governing, however, is that each party wants to have its own way with things. Descriptive research is the right choice when researchers want to describe a phenomenon or situation. Amazons mechanical turk a new source of inexpensive, yet high-quality, data? - Volume 55 Issue 2. By Colin Jones, Robert M. Stein, Lonna Atkeson, M.V. Descriptive representation describes the extent to which public officials reflect the demographic composition of the constituents that they serve. Black faces in the mirror: African Americans and their representatives in the US Congress. Critical Mass and Women's Substantive Representation Women's descriptive representation and the literature that addresses the means by which more women might be elected to national office involve, at face value, number-based models. (2011) and Berinsky etal. Candidate gender and womens psychological engagement in politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Polit Behav 39, 3150 (2017). Researchers surely appreciate the ease of which they are able to problem solve, collect data and share the results of their, Neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive development. Patterns and correlations are clear and visible: Statistical data is data that has already been analyzed and therefore the patterns and correlations have already been done and are clear and visible. American Journal of Political Science, 717732. Problems of Descriptive Representation in Dutch Works Councils. Tate, K. (2003). The SPAE is a national survey that is used to gauge the quality of the election experience. That creates two unique advantages in this category: people have more influence over the structure of the government and become more invested in domestic issues. Latinos and substantive representation in the US House of Representatives: Direct, indirect, or nonexistent? As long as a party receives enough of a proportional vote to equal one seat, they will be represented within the government at some level. For example, those living in diverse communities might find 5 black representatives too low, whereas those living in homogeneous white communities might find 5 black representatives too high. Technology gives researchers access to online libraries, digital collaboration and social media websites. More gridlock, instead of less, can be created, especially if more than two parties are involved in the coalition. Advantage The brevity by which descriptive investigations are carried out means that their costs are not high, compared to other types of investigations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Constituency influence in Congress. The mission of the fellowship is to support and advance academic and practitioner-scholars in their gender-related research. This form of research provides insight on human nature, we are able to understand basic psychological processes from this. Gay, C. (2001). The advantage is that it ensures that government sis efficient as the democratic process has included checks and balances (Regoli). The structures behind proportional representation allow independent candidates and minority parties an opportunity to be elected, which can end the dynasties of the major political parties in that country. We honor this tradition and work toward a gender equity agenda that addresses the needs of all women, including Indigenous women and Indigenous communities. In addition to the important administrative role that they play, poll workers also contribute to the way voters view elections and their outcomes. In addition, it is possible to present a hypothesis and to expand the degree of knowledge about the event under investigation. Want to share feedback on WAPPP's events, programming, and opportunities for student and alum engagement? We also demonstrate that the degree of descriptive representation desired is conditional on the nature of the policy being considered. There were 23 respondents who self-identified as Mixed Race, but they were not required to identify what combination of races they identify as. Social Science Quarterly, 84(2), 441460. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Furthermore, it is applied only to a group, over which it has no control whatsoever. ; ; . The American Political Science Review, 165177. Descriptive representation is the concept that those who represent the American people should not only have the same political interest, but should also mirror the demographic makeup of the people. Our "Oval Office" training program inspires and supports nontraditional candidates to run for public office. descriptive representation pros and cons proceedings of the international conference on learning representations. (1997). Through the resource of the survey, it is possible to carry out a descriptive investigation that yields information about the number of hours per day that children in a particular population play. In, Correlational research is a type of non-experimental research in which investigators measure two variables and, Free association is one of the methods most closely linked to the psychoanalysisof Sigmund Freud, All Rights Reserved | View Non-AMP Version, Advantages and disadvantages of descriptive research, Observational study definition characteristics techniques, Methodological framework definition/structure/examples, What are Research questions how to approach a study examples, What is Correlational research characteristics types and examples, What is free association origin contents of the unconscious problems. RT @Kennedy_School: According to a recent study by @HKS_PeopleLab researchers, including HKS's @ElizabethLinos, government communications c, Join @ipinst @swiss_un & @INTGenderChamps for a discussion on Using Innovation & Technology to Ad. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. For instance: watching a person (or people) order food, hold a door open for another person, or greet someone would be considered a few examples of naturalistic observation. Most importantly in naturalistic observation, the researcher does not interfere with the situation in any way. The American Political Science Review, 84, 377393. We would say that a black constituent is descriptively 1:15 pm Pros and Cons: Getting a Professional vs. strontium citrate pros and cons; how to calculate lot coverage toronto; myapplications microsoft tjx; feng shui bird bath placement. Schwindt-Bayer, L. A., & Mishler, W. (2005). But conflict and disagreement can be quite beneficial. @HarvardHBS professor @francescagino. Grose, C. R. (2011). Public Opinion Quarterly, 48(4), 741756. Race, sociopolitical participation, and black empowerment. When black constituents have black representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, theyrate their representativeshigher than blacks with white representatives. When nondescriptive representatives have, for various reasons, greater Under proportional representation, everyone would have an opportunity to have their views represented in their government in some way. Answer the what, not the why. Political Behavior These three measures are all highly correlated and the index has a standardized \(\alpha\) of 0.89 for Study 1, 0.86 for Study 2, and 0.91 for study 3. In 2022, HKS doctoral student Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman published a critically acclaimed collection, The Black Agenda. Social Science Quarterly, 88(5), 11061123. Research questions are the first step to takebefore starting to study something that intrigues us. Under the system of proportional representation, any party with a high enough percentage of the vote will receive a seat in the government. . Descriptive statistics comprises the statistical methods dealing with the collection, tabulation and summarization of data, so as to present meaningful information. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution. Does descriptive race representation enhance institutional legitimacy? The analysis will stress that the deliberative function of democracy requires de-scriptive representation far more than does the aggregative function. The political representation of blacks in Congress: Does race matter? In this paper, I analyse the pros and cons of the latter. Descriptive research can be particularly useful in identifying trends or patterns. The concept of representation. Advantages and disadvantages of descriptive research. Apr 10, 2015. It is more difficult to have extremism in government when proportional representation is in place as a full majority is more difficult to achieve. Political Analysis, 20(3), 351368. Hillsdale, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates. At the same time, greater inclusion can also lead toward higher levels of extremism within the government, while encouraging more gridlock if the political parties are unable to find a pathway toward compromise. Tate, K. (2001). In a PR system, the congressional districts are much bigger, voters focus more on. With the scope of contemporary technology, we are able to access information from various studies that have occurred around the world. So if we did a study on say How many gangs are in Los Angeles? This will give us an answer of how many of something, like a situation that is being studied. This type of research is very useful when conducting studies, for example, when you want to know which brand of soda is most consumed in a supermarket, where you only want to know which is the most consumed, and not why it is the most consumed. It conforms to what the rest of the world is doing. Advantages: unbiased distribution of confounders; blinding more likely; randomisation facilitates statistical analysis. It can help researchers understand the current state of affairs and provide a foundation for further research. Descriptive research is a powerful tool that can be used to gain insights into a particular subject. In some instances, it may not even be a true majority if a third-party candidate performs well in a specific election. The models have parameters which may be useful in understanding the focus of the matter such as a mean, standard deviation of the variable and standard deviation of the mean as examples. However, due to its low precision in forecasting, it is not possible to specify the causes and effects of the phenomenon studied. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. A: MMP or mixed-member proportional representation is a political system used in places like New Zealand and Germany, where voters cast a two-part ballot, selecting both a preferred local. volume39,pages 3150 (2017)Cite this article. This literature traces its roots to the work of Thibaut and Walker (1975). As a society, we perform naturalistic observation on a daily basis whether we realize it or not. To investigate other possible predictors of perceptions of fairness, we also re-ran the results adjusting for several demographic and political covariates. The three most common descriptive statistics can be displayed graphically or pictorially and are measures of: Graphical/Pictorial Methods Measures of Central Tendency When determining whether or not legislators are representing their constituents' interests, scholars using voting studies may overstate the role of strategic factors, such as reelection goals and constituent influence, while understating the effect of descriptive characteristics. I consider the essentialist line of reasoning as unsustainable because it pays little attention to differences among women. Sharing a racial identity with a member of Congress can also increase the likelihood of aconstituent contactingtheir member of Congress. 1. Established in 1939 and published for the Southern Political Science Association, The Journal of Politics is a leading general-interest journal of political science and the oldest regional political science journal in the United States. Political Research Quarterly, 57(1), 8199. American Journal of Political Science, 640652. Journal of Politics, 65(4), 10401061. Atkeson, L. R., & Carrillo, N. (2007). village 201 new townhomes by alliance development virginia palmer elementary school staff. Another benefit of descriptive research is that it enables you to determine the behavior of people in a natural setting. Social Science Quarterly, 86(2), 444462. Using observation, qualitative data can be collected on the habits of supermarket customers regarding the purchases they make in it. Because of the decentralized nature of American elections, the analysis considered not only the effect of descriptive representation on confidence in the voters ballot being counted accurately but also ballots across their local jurisdiction (county or city), state, and the nation. Population : A data set contain all members of a specified group (the entire list of data values). This is the case for women who remain numerically under-represented in legislatures around the world, but also ethnic minority groups, and other minorities. Proportional representation removes this obstacle, allowing real issues to be debated instead of trying to woo swing voters that could provide a simple majority vote. Congresswomen and symbolic representation. Solano Verde Water District. Higher levels of education were associated with higher perceptions of fairness. This is an increasing trend since the previous Congress had three states which had, Further, immigrants also form part of Congress who totals. Naturalistic observational research is important because it allows researchers to observe people in a natural habitat without any variable manipulation. Political Research Quarterly, 63(4), 890907. For example, research studying the morphology and mechanism of action of SARS-CoV-2 is descriptive. 7. Under a standard system of proportional representation, voters are able to cast a single transferable vote, or an STV. Google Scholar. Hood III, and Mason Reece, Descriptive Representation in Election Administration. The effect of black congressional representation on political participation. Spirals of trust? The researcher usually has high level of control over research variables. Problems to select a suitable method: Information can be . 79 John F. Kennedy Street Descriptive research can provide valuable insights into a particular situation. Heres what we know. The advantages of descriptive research include that it is easy to conduct, can be used to gather large amounts of data, and can provide a baseline for future research. A. It has received increasing attention as a source of subjects for social science researchers. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. 5. WAPPP Co-Director Iris Bohnet will be a featured panelist in the upcoming policy forum on Using Innovation and Technology to Advance Gender Equality" hosted by @ipinst, @swiss_un, and @INTGenderChamps. However, it is important to understand its limitations and when it is most appropriate to use. The article concludes with a discussion on the important avenues for future research as the level of diversity in Congress increases and more . The Gender Action Portal (GAP) serves as an online tool for decision-makers across sectors. What is procedural justice-criteria used by citizens to assess the fairness of legal procedures. Are Russian troops using sexual violence as a weapon? In most cases, it is simply impossible to measure the entire population to understand its properties. descriptive representation pros and consupgrading kramer baretta specialupgrading kramer baretta special 2. Current issues are now on the Chicago Journals website. List of Pros of Experimental Research. (1999). Errors and Mistakes: Since graphical representations are complex, there is- each and every chance of errors and mistakes.This causes problems for a better understanding of general people. The effect of black voters interacting with a black poll worker when compared to a non-black poll worker increases the probability of being very confident in ballot accuracy from a range of 8 to 10 percentage points. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 623638. It allows for multiple candidate preferences. In the profession of Psychology, watching people, animals, possessions in an environment are called observation. Usually, the cross-sectional or transectional design is the most used to carry out this type of research, although it is also possible to use the pre-experimental design. 2. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Descriptive Research, Different research methods have contrasting directions and distinct heights of gravity. The analysis demonstrates that similar to other public policy spaces, descriptive representation in the administration of elections matters. The seldom receive access to the majority coalition and rarely earn an absolute majority, but there is always the possibility that their voiced opinions will gain traction with the general population. Descriptive research does not rely on only one type of data; it relies on both quantitative and qualitative research. Request Permissions, Published By: The University of Chicago Press. Evaluating online labor markets for experimental research: Amazon.coms mechanical turk. Advantages and disadvantages of descriptive research.