Around the world, quotas have been implemented into different countries’ government and parliament systems for the people in power to more accurately reflect the population of that country. Despite the quota’s ability to get women and minority groups more accurately represented, the United States continues to reject implementing quotas into its Congressional branch.
Although women currently make up 50.8 percent of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, they only make up 18.7 percent of the 113th U.S. Congress. Women are the most underrepresented group of people in the government, despite making up over half of the total population. This means that every law that gets passed in the U.S. regarding women, or regarding the population as a whole, is voted on and passed by a legislature made up of 81.3 percent men. Meaning, the majority of the people passing these laws are actually unaffected by them.
Minority groups in the U.S. are also underrepresented in the government. Despite making up 16.9 percent of the U.S. population, Hispanic and Latino people only account for 7 percent of Congress. African American’s make up 13.1 percent of the U.S. population, yet they only hold 8.1 percent of the total seats in Congress.
The U.S. was founded on the concept that the government is for the people and by the people, yet the government does not accurately reflect the population. Although white males make up only 31.5 percent of the U.S.’s total population and 34 percent of the voters in the 2012 election, they occupy 67 percent of the total Congressional seats, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The fact that only 31.5 percent of the population is fairly represented in government is scary. It is especially scary for the women who make up half of every minority and majority group to have their reproductive and bodily rights voted on and decided by people who aren’t affected by them at all.
I’m not saying we need a quota that saves half of all Congressional seats for women, but it would be nice if more of the people voting away my reproductive rights had the anatomy directly affected by their decisions.
Resistance against quotas in the U.S. is very strong, due to the fact that every quota will favor one group over another. However, considering the disadvantages and oppositions that women and minority groups face in getting into the government, favoring them in a quota is the least that can be done to combat these disadvantages.
An accurate reflection of the U.S. population in government positions is important in order to achieve a truly fair and just government system. Implementing quotas for women and minority groups in Congress would be a step in the right direction for achieving this goal.
How do you feel about key demographics being underrepresented in Congress? Do you feel that your interests are ignored? Please send feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
