Different Faces, Different Priorities: Agenda-Setting Behavior in the Mississippi, Maryland, And Georgia State Legislatures (Table‪)‬

Abstract This work explores the agenda-setting behavior of African American state legislators, female state legislators, and African American female state legislators and examine the degree to which these lawmakers have been able to translate election to office into substantive representation. Using the records of legislation sponsored in the lower houses of the Mississippi, Maryland and Georgia state legislatures in the 2001 sessions, I categorize the legislation sponsored by each legislator according to its content. I find that female legislators and African American legislators behave cohesively and demonstrate different agenda-setting behavior than do their white male colleagues. Female legislators are as likely as male legislators to achieve passage of their legislation. African American legislators generally, and African American female legislators in particular, are less likely to achieve passage of their legislation, giving support to both the double disadvantage and social distance theories.