On the political origins of bias in the heavenly chorus

Discussions of bias in interest communities have remained resolutely descriptive. We try to move the literature to a more explanatory focus both by linking the study of diversity or bias in interest representation to an underlying model of the density of the different guilds of interests - Gray and Lowery's Energy, Stability, Area (ESA) model. The results of the density models are used to assess relative bias in representation across the states in the dominance of traditional business interests in 1997. We then assess how sensitive these relative biases are to variations in the supply and demand variables that drive the ESA model of density. We conclude by discussing both further applications of our method of analysis and our substantive finding that representational bias is deeply rooted in politics.