The Congress is underrepresented in minority groups. The underrepresentation is caused by multiple social and structural factors. America’s conservative, majoritarian culture is the main reason for underrepresentation. Most Americans are averse to patriarchy, white supremacist and heterosexual society. Liberal states embrace the tradition of voting Blacks and other LGBTQ people to Congress. However, many states refuse to accept the progressive ethos. The desire to keep the status quo in conservative states is deeply ingrained. Their population is growing in liberal states but their number in the conservative state legislatures continues to fall. Thus, the more conservative a community is, the less likely they are to elect representatives from minority groups (Greenberg & Page, 2018). The second reason is that the United States Constitution doesn’t provide any quota system to ensure fair and equal representation for disadvantaged groups. Because there is no constitutional obligation to ensure equitable representation, it makes it impossible for government officials or courts to make that happen. Because of the different political views between the Republican-Democratic Parties, those who are less fortunate have little choice but to make a difference in public policy. This means that they are limited in their abilities and cannot be elected to any other party than the one they belong to.
The rise of #MeToo and other racial awareness movements like #BlackLivesMatter and the gender and sexual awareness movement, has led to an increase in representation for women and minorities. Constant awareness of the human rights of minority groups has prompted society to evaluate and question the existing quo (Barnes & Beaulieu, 2019). Because of their proactivity, society has encouraged minority population to run or elect congressional representatives. A growing number of minorities serving as role models has also helped to break down this barrier, allowing more people the opportunity to run for office. Barack Obama’s victory opened up the possibility of black candidates running for office, including for those in leadership positions. Kamala Harris’ victory has allowed more Hispanic and black women to take on leadership roles in policymaking. Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. This proved that women are just as capable and talented as their male counterparts, and they can do anything given the chance.
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