Frymer’s research

Government institutions develop policies that dictate who gets what, when, and how. Frymer’s research examines the degree to which, and how, the two party system in the US serves to undermine the extent to which minority groups get representation. Bartels, in contrast, documents that the poor do better when Democrats are in office but that neither party represents them particularly well.

Write an essay that evaluates whether and to what degree Frymer’s theory of American politics (of electoral capture) serves to explain the empirical results that Bartels observes about the poor.

Is Frymer’s theory consistent with Bartels findings? That is, to what extent are the poor electorally captured? If so, why? under what circumstances? If not, why not?