Representation in Congress Essay
Representation in Congress Essay
Representation in Congress
Research the proportion of three or more of the following: women, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and openly gay or lesbian members of Congress.
Reflect on what these patterns say about the nature of representation.
The 118th Congress has 535 seats, 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 100 seats in the Senate. There are 154 women and 381 men in the Congress. In addition, there are 63 African American members, 62 Hispanic/Latino members, 22 Asian American/Pacific Islander American members, 5 American Indian/Alaska Native members, and 383 Non-Hispanic White American members of Congress (Manning, 2024). 13 members of Congress identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, including 11 members of the House of Representatives and 2 senators. The patterns indicate that the Congress is diverse, although it is less diverse than the nation. Non-Hispanic White Americans represent only 59% of the US population but account for 71.6% of the members of Congress. The lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans make up about 6.5% of the population but only have about 2.4% representation in Congress (Schaeffer, 2023). These demographic measures indicate that Congress is out of step with the broader US population.
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Why do you think some groups tend to be underrepresented in Congress?
The data reveals that minorities are underrepresented in Congress. Two main factors cause this state of affairs. First, the minority groups are less willing to run for political office. Second, voters and party leaders are prejudiced against minority groups in politics. Minority groups are less encouraged to run for political office and less likely to believe they are qualified. They perceive the political selection process as highly competitive and shy away from competition that may be skewed against them, such as an African American politician running for office in a White majority area. Even when minorities run for office, they are constantly outvoted by the majority (Reingold et al., 2021).
Why do you see a trend in which more women and minorities are represented?
Greater empowerment has occurred over time, with the inclusion of more women and minorities representing an important democratic test for the political system. This trend has been caused by greater public awareness that political representation is a political catalyst for increased equality. They understand that working to get more minorities elected to Congress is an effective tactic to help minorities achieve equality (Reingold et al., 2021).
Do you think the underrepresentation of women and minorities affects Congress’s business?
The underrepresentation of women and minorities affects Congress. It results in a Congress that does not accurately represent the population, with women and minorities excluded from consequential lawmaking. The result is that policies that address issues affecting women and minorities are not discussed, let alone passed. For instance, the underrepresentation of the African American population has resulted in them struggling with issues like increased probability of being unjustly incarcerated and discrimination by law enforcement. For women, the absence of explicit guarantees of gender equality in the constitution is glaring, and this is a situation that can be discussed and passed in Congress when they have representation in numbers (Andersen, 2021). Representation in Congress Essay
How might we, the citizens, as a people, address this situation and strive towards equal representation?
Citizens can address the situation and strive towards equal representation by implementing gender and minority quotas and policies. Introducing quotas in a political setting can mandate that a certain percentage of the members of Congress be women and minorities. This can ensure balanced participation in politics and decision-making. In addition, there is a need to expand participation through women’s and minorities’ caucuses. The caucuses can allow collaborations across party lines to foster equal legislation and policy agendas, even when pursued in politically combative environments. This can help amplify their voices and political influence where they may be a numerical minority (Russo & Cotta, 2020) Representation in Congress Essay.
References
Reingold, B., Haynie, K. L., & Widner, K. (2021). Race, Gender, and Political Representation: Toward a More Intersectional Approach. Oxford University Press.
Russo, F., & Cotta, M. (Eds.) (2020). Research Handbook on Political Representation. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Andersen, K. (2021, July 28). Part One: Underrepresentation in Congress: What Are The Consequences? https://www.commoncause.org/illinois/democracy-wire/part-one-underrepresentation-in-congress-what-are-the-consequences/
Schaeffer, K. (2023, Feb. 7). The changing face of Congress in 8 charts. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/07/the-changing-face-of-congress/
Manning, J. E. (2024, July 24). Membership of the 118th Congress: A Profile. Congressional Research Service, R47470. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47470 Representation in Congress Essay
