Since the three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) make national policies, you decide to begin with the US Congress because it is the one institution of government where the people’s interests—theoretically—are represented, and their power is expressed. You choose to look into the makeup of Congress as the first step to understanding who is in power to see if they are representative of “the people.” To get you going, here is some data you can review to learn about the makeup of Congress. Take your time reading all the bits of information and the data shown in the article at the link below:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/10/the-changing-face-of-congress/ (Links to an external site.)
What you find may surprise you, like the number of young people who are now serving or the improvements in Congress’s racial, ethnic, gender, and religious diversity. The projected changes in the US population over the next 25 years indicate that even greater population diversification will occur (see the Census tables below). Will these demographic changes lead to the further diversification of the membership of Congress? Will more diverse members of Congress help us understand the representation of diverse populations? Will diverse members of Congress increasingly exercise power in the institution, or will those who currently hold power retain it?
THIS IS A QUESTION :
In a concise (250-300 words) post, answer the following questions utilizing course materials, concepts, and the information above:
• Make a logical argument about power and representation informed by the Pew Research article, the US 2020 Census information (see below), and the study of Congress this term. Share your thoughts about the relationship of power to representation and representation to power in the US Congress. Where do you believe the institutional exercise of power is heading?