Descriptive representation is a way of thinking about representation in which it is thought to be important that representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents. Review how Congress has changed over time with respect to race, gender, veteran status, education, and religion in the Pew Research articles “The changing face of Congress in 7 charts” and “Racial and ethnic diversity increases yet again with the 117th Congress.”
- Discuss the different trends in Congress and what you think it means for the representation of citizens in the House and Senate? Does it matter if members of Congress look like most Americans?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of stronger descriptive representation in Congress?