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Race, Representation, and Local Governments in the US South: The Effect of the Voting Rights Act

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Bernini
  • Giovanni Facchini
  • Cecilia Testa

Abstract

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 redefined race relations in the United States. Yet evidence on its effect on Black office holding remains scant. Using novel data on Black elected officials between 1962 and 1980, we assess the impact of the Voting Rights Act on the racial makeup of local governments in the Deep South. Exploiting predetermined differential exposure of Southern counties to the mandated federal intervention, we show that the latter fostered local Black office holding, particularly in the powerful county commissions, controlling local public finances. In the presence of election by district, covered counties experienced Black representation gains and faster capital spending growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Bernini & Giovanni Facchini & Cecilia Testa, 2023. "Race, Representation, and Local Governments in the US South: The Effect of the Voting Rights Act," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 131(4), pages 994-1056.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jpolec:doi:10.1086/722092
    DOI: 10.1086/722092
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    Cited by:

    1. Calderon, Alvaro & Fouka, Vasiliki & Tabellini, Marco, 2021. "Racial Diversity and Racial Policy Preferences: The Great Migration and Civil Rights," IZA Discussion Papers 14488, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Francesco Ferlenga, 2025. "Symbols of Oppression: The Role of Confederate Monuments in the Great Migration," Working Papers 1520, Barcelona School of Economics.
    3. Salvatore M. De Rienzo Jr., 2022. "Shelby County v. Holder and Changes in Voting Behavior," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 67(2), pages 195-210, October.
    4. Giovanni Facchini & Brian Knight & Cecilia Testa, 2025. "The Franchise, Policing, and Race: Evidence from Arrests Data and the Voting Rights Act," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 17(4), pages 134-154, October.
    5. Bernt Bratsberg & Giovanni Facchini & Tommaso Frattini & Anna Cecilia Rosso, 2023. "Are political and economic integration intertwined?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(360), pages 1265-1306, October.
    6. Andrea Bernini & Navid Sabet, 2025. "Climbing the Political Ladder with Legal Status: Evidence from the Immigration Reform and Control Act," CESifo Working Paper Series 12081, CESifo.
    7. Biavaschi, Costanza & Facchini, Giovanni, 2020. "Immigrant Franchise and Immigration Policy: Evidence from the Progressive Era," IZA Discussion Papers 13195, IZA Network @ LISER.
    8. Andrea Bernini & Giovanni Facchini & Marco Tabellini & Cecilia Testa, 2025. "Black Empowerment and White Mobilization: The Effects of the Voting Rights Act," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 133(10), pages 3078-3131.
    9. Kainuma, Shuhei, 2024. "Transition to broader-based politics: The role of suffrage extension in early 20th century Japan," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. Navid Sabet, 2023. "Out of the Shadows and into the Classroom: Immigrant Legalization, Hispanic Schooling and Hispanic Representation on School Boards," CESifo Working Paper Series 10677, CESifo.
    11. Andrea Bernini & Giovanni Facchini & Marco Tabellini & Cecilia Testa, 2024. "Sixty years of the Voting Rights Act: progress and pitfalls," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 40(3), pages 486-497.
    12. Atheendar Venkataramani & Rourke O'Brien & Elizabeth Bair & Christopher Lowenstein, 2025. "Political Power and Mortality: Heterogeneous Effects of the U.S. Voting Rights Act," Papers 2510.26857, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2025.
    13. Ferlenga, Francesco, 2025. "Symbols of Oppression: The Role of Confederate Monuments in the Great Migration," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 776, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    14. Jean Lacroix, 2023. "Ballots Instead of Bullets? The Effect of the Voting Rights Act on Political Violence," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 21(2), pages 764-813.
    15. Stefano DellaVigna & Guido Imbens & Woojin Kim & David M. Ritzwoller, 2025. "Using Multiple Outcomes to Adjust Standard Errors for Spatial Correlation," NBER Working Papers 33716, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Calderon, Alvaro & Fouka, Vasiliki & Tabellini, Marco, 2021. "Racial Diversity, Electoral Preferences, and the Supply of Policy: The Great Migration and Civil Rights," IZA Discussion Papers 14312, IZA Network @ LISER.
    17. Alvaro Calderon & Vasiliki Fouka & Marco Tabellini, 2021. "Racial Diversity and Racial Policy Preferences: The Great Migration and Civil Rights," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 2133, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    18. Kyle Raze, 2022. "Voting rights and the resilience of Black turnout," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(3), pages 1127-1141, July.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • N92 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-

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