Role of Congress in the US
All authority in the United States is split into three independent branches, as in many democratic countries: legislative, executive, and judiciary. These branches are inextricably linked in their activities, resulting in an entire “body” of American power (Greenberg & Page, 2018). One of these branches, the legislative branch, is the United States Congress.
All of the most important regulations and legislation that govern the country are issued and approved by Congress. It must carefully adhere to the provisions of the Constitution while, to some extent, turning a “blind eye” to the opinions of the other two branches of government. Recently, there has been a fairly consistent growth in the racial and cultural variety of women as candidates, nominees, and ultimately officials at the level of Congress, notably the United States House of Representatives.
Reflecting on Patterns of Representation in Congress
Congress’s present makeup is the most racially and ethnically diverse in its history. A quarter of Congress, including 28% of the House of Representatives and 12% of the Senate, identify as Black, Hispanic, Latino, Asian American, American Indian, Alaska Native, or mixed (Leung, 2021). Thirteen members of Congress, the most in history, identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Over the last decade, the percentage of lawmakers identifying as members of this group has more than quadrupled to 2% (Leung, 2021). This statistic indicates that society is progressing towards equality and fairness. The state is shedding old preconceptions and creating new chances.
Trends in Increasing Representation of Women and Minorities
A record number of women have been elected to the legislative and executive branches of the United States. However, women continue to outnumber males in Congress and state governorships. There are 153 women in the legislature, accounting for 28% of the total membership (Brown et al., 2022). This research reveals that women are abandoning their reservations and entering politics to fix problems.
Many women had never contemplated a political career before. Still, something did not fit them in society, and they desired a change, which is why the number of women in Congress has increased (Dietrich et al., 2019). On the plus side, a generation of young people growing up in America do not remember a time when women did not hold the positions of governor or senator.
Reasons for Underrepresentation of Certain Groups in Congress
I believe that socioeconomic stratification and racism are to blame for the lack of representation of certain groups in Congress. As a result, the increasing number of women and minorities in Congress is due to societal evolution. This is evident in every aspect of people’s lives, from education to politics.
Impact of Underrepresentation of Women and Minorities on Congressional Business
Every member of society is appreciated, and their input is crucial and required to keep the government running. I feel that the under-representation of women and minorities in Congress is detrimental to the institution. The public’s confidence has been eroded, and the judgments taken by this council may be detrimental to particular groups. The public may alter the composition of Congress by choosing minority and female lawmakers.
Thus, the composition of the U.S. Congress is becoming more diverse and fairer. More minorities and women are beginning to run for Congress to bring their perspective to governmental processes and decisions. This shows that society is becoming equal and evolving every day. People respect each other’s opinions, setting the stage for a happy population where everyone can live comfortably. If humanity continues this policy, everyone will soon be able to say they live in an equal world.
References
Brown, N. E., Clark, C. J., & Mahoney, A. (2022). The Black Women of the US Congress: learning from descriptive data. Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, 43(3), 328-346. Web.
Dietrich, B. J., Hayes, M., & O’brien, D. Z. (2019). Pitch perfect: Vocal pitch and the emotional intensity of congressional speech. American Political Science Review, 113(4), 941-962. Web.
Greenberg, E. S., & Page, B. I. (2018). The Struggle for Democracy, 2018 Elections and Updates Edition (12th ed.). Pearson Education (US). Web.
Leung, V. (2021). Asian American candidate preferences: evidence from California. Political Behavior, 1-30. Web.