Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Local governments in the United States exercise significant discretion in using revenues from law enforcement activities, yet little research examines the role of representative bureaucracy in this context. Drawing on racial threat and representative bureaucracy theories, this study analyzes Florida counties (2011–2018) to investigate the relationships between racial demographics, law enforcement representation, and the use of fines and forfeitures. Results show that counties with larger Black populations tend to make greater use of fines and forfeitures as revenue sources, but this effect is mitigated by higher Black law enforcement representation. These findings underscore the role of representation in reducing the regressive fiscal impacts of law enforcement practices.

Citation

Ma, X., Huang, T., Chen, C., & Xiao, R. (2025). Does bureaucratic representation constrain local exploitative revenue sources? The Florida experience. Public Management Review, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2025.2567629