The comparative politics field has long held that working-class citizens' underrepresentation in global political offices does not matter. This article argues this view is flawed.

New Measurement Matters: The authors contend that past studies used poor measures of officeholders’ class backgrounds, attitudes, and decisions. Analyzing data from 18 Latin American legislatures reveals lawmakers across different classes hold distinct economic perspectives and behavior differently in office—even on pre-voting actions like sponsoring legislation—despite parties controlling visible votes.

The Unequal Consequences: This article demonstrates that unequal descriptive representation along class lines significantly impacts substantive outcomes. The numerical gaps between social classes translate into tangible differences in how legislative interests are represented.