Druckman and Jacobs have written an excellent review that shows the importance of studying representation. They have also done a great job laying out the insights from both books. In the end we agree on many things. Most importantly, we agree that politicians exhibit biases that favor certain, advantaged groups.

Our agreement highlights an important research agenda for scholars: What can be done to reduce this bias? We should not be satisfied with simply doing work that identifies bias (and I include my own work in that category). We can and should do more to learn about what can minimize bias in representation. What electoral systems, institutional rules, and other interventions reduce bias in representation?

The answer to this question will also resolve the points of disagreement between me and Druckman and Jacobs. When we as a scholarly community identify what reduces bias, we will also learn something about the cause of that bias. Do politicians exhibit favoritism towards some groups because they have inherent biases they bring to office (as I have argued) or is there a greater degree of intentionality behind the observed representational discrepancy (as Druckman and Jacobs argue). Studying how to minimize the bias will help answer these questions and will also, hopefully, provide insights that improve the political system.