Diversity in politics is arguably one of the most critical aspects of social development. Primarily, a high diversity increases the representation of various groups in society, ensuring that the policies developed reflect the needs of everyone. For example, increased representation of women in Congress can help ensure that more women’s voices are heard, subsequently reducing the chances of policies targeting this group being suppressed by the majority. This paper compares the proportion of women and African Americans in Congress and reflects on what their percentage over the years indicates about representation. It also discusses why some groups are under-represented and what can be done to address this issue. To increase representation of women and minorities requires electoral reforms and financial support for candidates from under-represented groups.
The representation of blacks and women in Congress has increased significantly in the past few years. Pew Research Center shows that, out of 535 lawmakers, 133 identify as minorities (Schaeffer, 2023). Among these, 54 are black. This number has risen from 46 in the 117th Congress and 43 in the 116th (Schaeffer, 2023). Conversely, there are 153 women in Congress, representing about a quarter of lawmakers (Schaeffer, 2023). Despite the rising representation in these two groups, both are still vastly under-represented. For example, blacks comprise 14% of the US population but only 10% of Congress (Census Bureau, n.d.). Correspondingly, women comprise 51% of the US population but only 28% of Congress (Schaeffer, 2023). Conversely, non-Hispanic whites comprise 59% of the US population but represent 75% of Congress (Schaeffer, 2023). Consequently, these patterns show that more needs to be done to increase the representation of these two groups, especially women who are severely under-represented.
The reason women and minorities tend to be under-represented is multifaceted. Chiefly, racial discrimination, especially in the past, severely undermined the ability of African Americans and women to participate in politics (Greenberg & Page, 2018). Correspondingly, candidates from minority groups tend to be less financially capable of competing with their white and often well-off counterparts in most locations. It is also essential to note that even though several women can compete with male politicians, voter bias usually makes it challenging for the former to make it to Congress (Greenberg & Page, 2018). Voter bias is often influenced by traditional views regarding women’s political positions (Pas et al., 2022). Addressing these issues can significantly improve the representation of these two groups.
Despite the under-representation, the statistics by Pew Research illustrated a rising trend in the representation of these two groups. This trend is likely due to changing perspectives on aspects like racism and gender representations. Specifically, the advocacy for minorities and women as capable leaders has also increased recently (Kim, 2024). Therefore, these might have led to the current trend seen in Congress.
The under-representation of women and minorities severely affects Congress’ business. The lack of representation will likely reduce the diversity of ideas debated for and enacted in Congress (Greenberg & Page, 2018). While the majority can still debate minorities’ issues, they cannot understand the significance of their problems since they do not experience them. Consequently, this might result in some topics being disregarded or suppressed, leading to policies that do not address the needs of every citizen.
Citizens play a critical role in increasing the representation of women and minorities in Congress. As illustrated previously, women comprise 51% of the population and only have 28% of Congress representation. One of the main reasons is the lack of support for women candidates. Therefore, citizens must be more proactive in supporting women candidates to increase their representation. Moreover, they can pressure lawmakers to make electoral adjustments that help close the barriers that alienate some minorities from politics. Through this approach, the US will likely achieve equal representation.
References
Census Bureau. (n.d.). U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States. Census Bureau QuickFacts. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/RHI225222
Greenberg, E. S., & Page, B. I. (2018). The struggle for democracy, 2018 elections and updates edition Revel access code (12th ed.). Pearson.
Kim, R. K. (2024, March 5). Women who advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/women-who-advocate-for-equity-diversity-and-inclusion/
Pas, D. J., Aaldering, L., & Steenvoorden, E. (2022). Gender bias in political candidate evaluation among voters: The role of party support and political gender attitudes. Frontiers in Political Science, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2022.921252
Schaeffer, K. (2023, February 28). The changing face of Congress in 8 charts. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/07/the-changing-face-of-congress/
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