SAGE

"You can't understand national politics simply by reading newspapers," Lee argues. "It's important to contextualize what's going on, to understand what's different, what's changing, and what's the same. There's a lot of amnesia; people forget about the parallels to the current moment." Looking just at the 116th Congress, the most recent edition of Congress and Its Members makes the concept of two Congresses more relevant for students by highlighting key fi ndings from the 2018 midterm and encouraging students to think critically about the implications. Below are a few interesting statistics that you can use to start a lively classroom discussion about how the membership of the 116th Congress does (and does not) refl ect the nation's large and varied population. 95% of House members and 100% of senators hold university degrees The educational attainment of Congress far outpaces that of the overall U.S. population. In 2017, around a third (34%) of American adults ages 25 and older said they had completed a bachelor's degree or more, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Additionally, blue collar occupations such as farm labor, service trades, and skilled labor are drastically underrepresented. How might this disparity undermine the representation of constituents when Congress considers economic issues? There is a growing presence of racial minorities in Congress African Americans, who make up 13.4% of the nation's population, account for 12.6% of the membership of the House of Representatives and 3% of the Senate. Latinos make up 18.1% of the U.S. population, but only 10.2% of the House membership and 5% of the Senate. Asian Americans and Pacifi c Islanders claim 17 representatives and three senators. There are four Native Americans in the House. What types of benefi ts can Congress experience by having representational bonds with minority communities? Women increased their presence in Congress to roughly 24% Although neither chamber accurately refl ects the nation in terms of gender, the presence of women in Congress has grown slowly. More than 80% are Democrats. Among them, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is the fi rst female Speaker of the House. What challenges do female lawmakers face, and what are some examples of how women have overcome those challenges? The average age of Congress members is among the highest in history When the 116th Congress convened in 2019, 58 was the average age of House members, 63 for senators. Tenure has also risen, with the average member of Congress serving a decade. Why do you think the age of Congress has risen, and what factors could cause it to fl uctuate? Congress and Its Members, Seventeenth Edition Roger H. Davidson, Walter J. Oleszek, Frances E. Lee , and Eric Schickler See page 11 for details. Congress 7

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