Minorities in Congress In forming a government for the people, by the people, and of the people, our Founding Fathers developed the idea of ​​a bicameral legislature. This Congress, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, thus became known as the popular branch of government. American children are taught in schools that anyone can be elected to Congress as long as they meet the requirements of the Constitution. As long as you meet the age and residency requirements you are indeed qualified to be a candidate for Congress. If we take a more in-depth look at the composition of the Congress we see a body disproportionate to its nation. Congress maintained a fairly homogeneous composition from its founding until 2001. This conclusion raises no eyebrows as both the executive and judicial branches of government have maintained a very white, male, and Protestant resemblance. However, Congress was formed with a very specific purpose: to represent the people of the United States of America. The melting pot of America's huddled masses has been slow to place leaders who truly represent its demographics. There are a number of simple and complex reasons why this underrepresentation of minorities has occurred. Who is the real minority in Congress? This is not a simple partisan issue, although it appears that partisanship is a factor. An examination of the composition of the current 107th Congress will provide more light on Congress's position as a representative body. A quick list of underrepresented minorities in the United States might be: African Americans, women, black women, Hispanics, gays and lesbians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Indians (Native Americans). All of the groups mentioned above have a unique history in fighting for greater representation. Let us now examine some of these stories in an attempt to answer why the American Congress does not look like the American people. While voting rights legislation has had a large impact on changing the composition of Congress, other factors exist such as barriers to minority representation in Congress. One of these is the use of single-member districts. Of great debate as to whether it is helping or hindering minority candidates is the establishment of minority districts and the use of racial gerrymandering. The question of constitutionality and these dist...... middle of paper ......tion have focused attention on the problems of our current voting system. With the disproportionate amount of minorities represented in Congress today, a change in the voting system is inevitable unless the two parties make a concerted effort to gain greater minority support and offer minority candidates. Political reforms other than proportional representation could prove favorable to minority candidates. Those seeking to narrow the gap in Congress have looked at term limits and campaign finance reform. The idea that term limits would help minorities stems from the fact that incumbent presidents are much more successful in elections. While there is always a call from government reformers to implement term limits, the likelihood of that happening seems pretty slim. However, campaign finance reform is making progress this year in Congress. Supporters of the reform argue that it would open access to more candidates seeking election and not just those supported by “big money” interests or monetary support from parties. This increase in a candidate's vitality would increase the chances of minorities running for office, thus enabling the..