Abstract
Substantial evidence suggests that district, as opposed to at-large, local election structures improve the electoral opportunities for black council candidates. This article attempts to go one step further and determine if, indeed, district election systems and the presumed increased presence of black elected officials can be linked to black feelings of political efficacy toward local government. Based on an analysis of American National Election Study data, a significant connection is found between the type of election structure present in a city and the likelihood of black respondents claiming to "have any say about what the local government does."
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