Introduction The concept of representation has become the framework of contemporary democracies around the globe. In the United States, its citizens elect representatives to both chambers of Congress. These representatives are intended to make decisions in order to benefit their constituencies. However, the government of the United States is and has historically been whiter than the United States itself and no longer reflects its current demographics. According to the Pew Research Center, “whites account for 83% of the new Congress but just 62% of the population” (Krogstad, 2015). While minority groups share 38% of the United States’ population, yet only 17% of minorities are represented by Congress (Krogstad, 2015). In this paper, I argue
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When a minority sees, another minority obtain public office, they become more engaged and empowered in a political system (Banducci, Donovan, and Karp 2004, 541). This research will allow insight to be gained about the causes of or lack of minority representation in the legislative branches of the United States and Canada. Determining why some governments are more diverse than others will allow insight to be gained about how the population is represented as a whole and the political engagement of minorities in government. First, I present the multitude of arguments from various scholars surrounding this issue. These theories frame the outline of my own argument that I develop from various scholarly studies and evidence that surround the issue of why some governments are more diverse than others.
Literature Review & Theoretical Framework The main goal of any government should be the political representation of its citizenry, all of its people, whether they be a person of color, also known as a visible minority in Canada, or not (Chaplin 2008). Political representation is flawed, there is no doubt about it. This results in the misrepresentation the interests of society as a whole. Scholars have disputed that a lack of political representation is an issue. Diversity in a legislature …show more content…
In Benjamin Forest’s 2012 article, Electoral redistricting and minority political representation in Canada and the United States, he analyzes the representation of visible minorities in the United States and Canada. He implies that due to the electoral systems of both countries it is significantly more difficult for visible and ethnic minorities to attain any considerable representation in legislative office, making the dilemma of political representation drastically harder to solve (Forest 2012, 320). The 2012 study Race, Ethnicity, and U.S. House Incumbent Evaluation by Branton, Cassese, and Jones suggest that “Electoral arrangements, particularly single-member districts, constrain descriptive representation such that some groups are invariably represented by a member of another group.” Representation in government is designed “to ensure that minorities do not feel manipulated by political elites, which in turn should enhance minority engagement and sense of inclusion” (Bird 2015, 254). A large portion of the populations of both the United States and Canada are non-white or considered visible minorities. These groups of peoples “have struggled to win representation in the national political community” (Forest 2012,
When a minority sees, another minority obtain public office, they become more engaged and empowered in a political system (Banducci, Donovan, and Karp 2004, 541). This research will allow insight to be gained about the causes of or lack of minority representation in the legislative branches of the United States and Canada. Determining why some governments are more diverse than others will allow insight to be gained about how the population is represented as a whole and the political engagement of minorities in government. First, I present the multitude of arguments from various scholars surrounding this issue. These theories frame the outline of my own argument that I develop from various scholarly studies and evidence that surround the issue of why some governments are more diverse than others.
Literature Review & Theoretical Framework The main goal of any government should be the political representation of its citizenry, all of its people, whether they be a person of color, also known as a visible minority in Canada, or not (Chaplin 2008). Political representation is flawed, there is no doubt about it. This results in the misrepresentation the interests of society as a whole. Scholars have disputed that a lack of political representation is an issue. Diversity in a legislature …show more content…
In Benjamin Forest’s 2012 article, Electoral redistricting and minority political representation in Canada and the United States, he analyzes the representation of visible minorities in the United States and Canada. He implies that due to the electoral systems of both countries it is significantly more difficult for visible and ethnic minorities to attain any considerable representation in legislative office, making the dilemma of political representation drastically harder to solve (Forest 2012, 320). The 2012 study Race, Ethnicity, and U.S. House Incumbent Evaluation by Branton, Cassese, and Jones suggest that “Electoral arrangements, particularly single-member districts, constrain descriptive representation such that some groups are invariably represented by a member of another group.” Representation in government is designed “to ensure that minorities do not feel manipulated by political elites, which in turn should enhance minority engagement and sense of inclusion” (Bird 2015, 254). A large portion of the populations of both the United States and Canada are non-white or considered visible minorities. These groups of peoples “have struggled to win representation in the national political community” (Forest 2012,