Evaluate the extent to which Congress is a representative body. Flashcards
Introduction - Themes
- Election Cycle
- Composition
- Model of Representation
Introduction - Argument
In the past there were definite shortcomings when it come to the representative function of Congress, however, the 118th Congress is the most diverse to date and due to the need to get re-elected Congressmen have become much more astute when it comes to representing their Constituency’s needs
Unrepresentative - Election Cycle - Point
There are problems with the current election cycle - gerrymandering has meant that one party is given an electoral advantage over the other, and the use of Pork Barrel politics exploits the constituency link to aid the representative’s re-election
Unrepresentative - Election Cycle - Examples
- Gerrymandering meant that in the 2020 Congressional Elections, the Democrats saw the majority of voter support in North Carolina and yet the majority of seats were won by Republicans
- In 2019, over $15.3bn was spent on Pork Barrel Politics
Representative - Election Cycle - Point
The US Congress has frequent election, and each person has two representatives, this provides a strong constituency link, so they are well represented
Representative - Election Cycle - Examples
- Elections occur every 2 years in the House and every 6 years in the Senate meaning that Congressmen will have to astute when listening to their constituencies concerns
- It is often found that members of Congress will vote against their party if the majority of their constituents disagree - Susan Collins is a Republican senator from Maine, but she voted against the Repeal of Obamacare as she felt her constituents were benefitting
Unrepresentative - Composition - Point
Congress is meant to be representative of America, however, it is dominated by predominantly older, white males
Unrepresentative - Composition - Examples
- Although there was a record number of women serving in the 118th Congress - there are still only 28% in the House of Representatives. Women make up 50% of the population
- 133 Senators and Representative identify as an ethnic minority - 75% of Congress is white compared to only 59% of the population
Representative - Composition - Point
It is difficult for Congress to represent the interest of every group in America, but there has recently been a growth in Congressional caucuses which represent these smaller sections of society within Congress
Representative - Composition - Examples
- Congressional Black Caucus represents the interest of black people and currently has 60 members
- The Congressional LGBTQ+ Caucus has been particularly vocal recently trying to protect the rights to gay marriage
Unrepresentative - Models of Representation - Point
Representative, in particular Senators, can be more inclined to act on the trustee model of representation which means they have much more personal influence when it comes to making these decision - this can become problematic when you look at what other entities influence representatives
Unrepresentative - Models of Representation - Examples
- Lobbyist can provide information for Congressman - critics argue that Congressmen listen to them more than their Constituents
- Joe Manchin refused to support Biden’s Build Back Better Bill which focused on using green energy - Manchin is funded by multiple fossil fuel companies
Unrepresentative - Models of Representation - Point
There is another model of representation which is more commonly seen in the House due to their shorter election cycles
Unrepresentative - Models of Representation - Examples
- Joe Manchin may have received funding from fossil fuel companies, but he also has miners within his West Virginia constituency which would have been effected
- The delegate models of representation means they act on behalf of others. They are not a free agent and can exercise little private judgement
