Is Congress as diverse as the public?

Q. Is Congress really a fair representation of the American people?

A. The United States Congress is elected by the people and there is no requirement that the body be an accurate reflection of the demographic makeup of the population. In truth, it rarely comes close.

The 118th Congress, sworn in on Jan. 3, 2023, is generally more educated and wealthier than the nation’s overall population.

The partisan split may well be the one area that is a fair portrayal of the state of the nation. The Republicans, with 217 seats, have the majority in the House of Representatives. There are 212 Democratic members and, as of now, 6 vacant seats. The Senate is even more finely split, with a 51-49 divide between Republicans and the Democratic caucus, which holds the majority with 48 Democrats and 3 Independents who align with them.

The 118th Congress features the most women in history at 155, constituting 29% of voting members across both chambers. This demonstrates significant growth from three decades prior, when only 48 women served in the 103rd Congress. However, it remains a body dominated by male members, in contrast to the overall U.S. population which slightly favors women. The 118th Congress also consists of 64 African American members (11.8% of total), 61 Hispanic/Latino members (11.27%), and 21 Asian/Pacific Islander members (3.9%). While marking an increase over earlier Congresses, these figures are below the overall racial/ethnic composition of the nation.

The 118th is the most credentialed Congress in recent memory. A striking 93.8% of House members and 99% of Senators hold at least a bachelor’s degree, with many possessing advanced degrees like J.D.s or MBAs. This is considerably higher than the American population writ large. If you are looking to be elected to Congress, the most common pre-Congressional careers typically involve law, business, public service/ politics and the military. It does make some sense that lawyers make up a significant number of our lawmakers. Some 31% of the House and 51% of the Senate have law degrees.

While one only needs to be 25 to be elected to the House of Representatives and 30 for the Senate, most members of Congress are far older. The average age for Representatives is 58 and 64 for Senators. Some of that is no doubt due to how long members stay. The average length of service is 8.5 years in the House and 11.2 years in the Senate, though a number of members serve far longer. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has served for over 43 years, which is still well short of the record of 51 years, 5 months, 26 days, established by the late Robert Byrd (D-W.Va).

While the 118th Congress is more diverse and representative than its historical antecedents, it remains a fairly elite group. As the strength of American democracy is rooted in the sense that the governed consent to their government, the divergence between the U.S. population and the composition of its legislative branch is worth scrutinizing. However, Congress is elected, and determining if they sufficiently reflect the nation is a judgment for the voters.

Kevin Wagner is a noted constitutional scholar and political science professor at Florida Atlantic University. The answers provided do not necessarily represent the views of the university. If you have a question about how American government and politics work, email him at kwagne15@fau.edu.