Vanessa C. Tyson is Assistant Professor of Politics at Scripps College.

"Vanessa Tyson's insightful and well-argued assessment of minority group politics in the US House of Representatives, focusing on multiracial coalitions, is a must-read for any scholar or interested layperson who wants to understand how representatives of marginalized groups struggle to have policy influence in the federal legislative process. She skillfully triangulates her quantitative and qualitative evidence to show that those minority representatives have the greatest influence when they perceive linked political fate across the groups and work together." --Valerie Martinez-Ebers, Editor of the American Political Science Review and University Distinguished Research Professor at the University of North Texas

"How is racial diversity in the United States institutionalized? In this astute and timely study of interracial coalition-building in the US House of Representatives, Vanessa Tyson uses multiple empirical methods, including case studies, in-depth interviews, historical analysis, and systematic assessment of roll-call votes, to reveal the dynamics driving cooperation between Black, Latino, and Asian American legislative caucuses and the effects of that cooperation on political representation. By focusing on the motivations and strategies that foster a sense of 'linked political fate' between Black, Latino, and Asian American elected representatives, Tyson's groundbreaking research highlights the critical ways in which race continues to shape our most important political institutions." --Janelle Wong, Director, Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland

"In this important book, Vanessa Tyson draws upon a wealth of interviews, roll call data, and case studies to provide critical insights into the conditions under which marginalized groups gain influence in Congress. Tyson persuasively demonstrates that racial minorities have increasingly drawn upon a sense of linked political fate with other disadvantaged groups to push for concrete policy change." --Eric Schickler, author of Racial Realignment: The Transformation of American Liberalism, 1932-1965

"Drawing upon impressive quantitative and qualitative analyses, Tyson makes significant theoretical and empirical advances demonstrating the importance of linked political fate and the resulting multi-racial coalitions among members from and representing communities of color in the US House of Representatives. This path-breaking book includes the best analysis to date of the Congressional Tri-Caucus and its impact. It's a must-read for anyone interested in representation, legislative behavior, race, redistricting, or voting rights." --Kathryn Pearson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Minnesota