Representation in Congress (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

Required Resources

Read/review the following resources for this activity:

• Textbook: Chapter 11, 12
• Lesson
• Minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.

Instructions

Research the proportion of women, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and openly gay or lesbian members of Congress.

1. Reflect on what these patterns say about the nature of representation.
2. Why do some groups tend to be underrepresented in Congress?
3. Why do you see a trend in which more women and minorities are being represented?
4. Do you think the underrepresentation of women and minorities affect Congress’s business?
5. How might we as a people address this situation and strive towards equal representation? Make sure to cite sources used.

Writing Requirements (APA format)

• Length: 1.5-2 pages (not including title page or references page)
• 1-inch margins
• Double spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Title page
• References page (minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to textbook if cited)

ANSWER

Representation in Congress

Minority groups are disproportionately represented in Congress. According to Pew Research Center, whites account for 77% of the voting members in Congress, while Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, and Native Americans collectively comprise only 23% (Schaeffer, 2021). These statistics reveal that minority groups in the United States are severely underrepresented in Congress. Carnes and Lupus (2016) suggest that these groups are underrepresented because they are ineligible or lack the necessary qualifications to run for office. This idea is supported by numerous studies, which have demonstrated that minority groups, including Hispanics, Blacks, African Americans, and American Indians, have lower educational qualifications than Whites (Carnes & Lupus, 2016). This low educational attainment prevents these minority groups from acquiring the necessary skills to govern or perform political functions.

Carnes and Lupus (2016) also claim that some people from these groups are not legally eligible to run for office or may lack the necessary resources to campaign for office. The authors also indicate that people from a minority group are numerically underrepresented in public offices because their population numbers are low. This statement suggests that a person’s likelihood of winning an election is proportional to the size of their social group’s population. If their social group is small, it will have fewer voters, reducing their chances of winning a general election.

Another reason for the underrepresentation is systematic racism and voter biases. Carnes and Lupus (2016) indicate that females and ethnic/racial minorities face discrimination due to voter biases and systematic racism. An example of systematic racism is setting certain standards or eligibility requirements, e.g., educational, nationality, or language requirements, that lock out some groups from Congress.

I see a trend in which more women and minorities are represented because their numbers in the general population are changing. According to US Census Bureau (2021), the demographics of the United States are changing. Although Whites are still the dominant group, the population of minority groups is significantly increasing. For example, the Latino population grew to 62.1 million in 2020, a 23% increase. Asians increased to 24 million, American Indians to 9.7 million, and African Americans to 46.9 million within the same timeframe (US Census Bureau, 2021). As Carnes and Lupus (2016) pointed out, a group’s representation in public office is relative to its numbers in the general population. In line with this argument, minorities’ representation in Congress is likely to increase as their numbers in the general population growth.

Another reason is cultural changes. Voter polarized prejudices and social stereotypes are currently under contestation and transformation (Sanbonmatsu, 2020). Traditionally, politics was believed to be a man’s world, but various female politicians have discredited this stereotype. Various social movements also empower women and minorities to contest formal legal and socioeconomic barriers prohibiting them from holding public office (Sanbonmatsu, 2020). For example, Women’s Political Action Committees (PACs) and donors have helped recruit, train, and fund female candidates.

I think the underrepresentation of women and minorities affects Congress’s business. Asiedu et al. (2018) showed that countries with a higher percentage of women in parliament were more likely to pass gender-sensitive laws. The women helped increase awareness on issues typically ignored by the government, exerted pressure, and influenced the parliament to enact pro-women policies (Asiedu et al., 2018). This study implies that some issues affecting women and minority groups in Congress will be ignored as long these groups continue to be underrepresented in Congress.

We as a people can strive toward equal representation by embracing gender and racial/ethnic equality. Carnes and Lupus (2016) indicate voter biases and prejudice are also responsible for the underrepresentation. Therefore, embracing minorities and women may encourage more to run and hold public office.

References

Asiedu, E., Branstette, C., Gaekwad-Babulal, N., & Malokele, N. (2018, January). The effect of women’s representation in parliament and the passing of gender sensitive policies. In ASSA Annual Meeting (Philadelphia, 5-7 January). https://www.aeaweb.org/conference.

Carnes, N., & Lupu, N. (2016). Do voters dislike working-class candidates? Voter biases and the descriptive underrepresentation of the working class. American Political Science Review, 110(4), 832-844. https://noamlupu.com/Carnes_Lupu_class_bias.pdf

Sanbonmatsu, K. (2020). Women’s Underrepresentation in the U.S. Congress. American Academy of Arts & Sciences. https://www.amacad.org/publication/womens-underrepresentation-us-congress

Schaeffer, K. (2021, March 10). The changing face of Congress in 7 charts. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/10/the-changing-face-of-congress/

US Census Bureau. (2021, August 12). Improved Race and Ethnicity Measures Reveal U.S. Population Is Much More Multiracial. The United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/improved-race-ethnicity-measures-reveal-united-states-population-much-more-multiracial.html

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