  We show that the translational subgroup of Wigner's little group for massless
particles in 3+1 dimensions generate gauge transformation in linearized
Einstein gravity. Similarly a suitable representation of the 1-dimensional
translational group T(1) is shown to generate gauge transformation in the
linearized Einstein-Chern-Simons theory in 2+1 dimensions. These
representations are derived systematically from appropriate representations of
translational groups which generate gauge transformations in gauge theories
living in spacetime of one higher dimension by the technique of dimensional
descent. The unified picture thus obtained is compared with a similar picture
available for vector gauge theories in 3+1 and 2+1 dimensions. Finally, the
polarization tensor of Einstein-Pauli-Fierz theory in 2+1 dimensions is shown
to split into the polarization tensors of a pair of Einstein-Chern-Simons
theories with opposite helicities suggesting a doublet structure for
Einstein-Pauli-Fierz theory.
