Which Is True About The Makeup Of Congress?

6d. Who Is in Congress?

Campaign Trail
Congressional candidates must visit with thousands of potential voters to show their compassion and to demonstrate their strength as leaders.

A paunchy, older, argent-haired human with no facial hair wearing an ill-plumbing fixtures dark adapt. This is the image evoked in the minds of many Americans when they endeavour to pic a Representative or Senator. This stereotype is actually grounded in truth, although the makeup of Congress has changed a great deal in the by few decades.

Personal Characteristics

Senators and Representatives come up from all parts of the U.s., just they do non reflect a true cross section of America. Overall, members of Congress tend to exist older, wealthier, and amend educated than those they represent. Almost half of them are lawyers, and a large number come from business concern, banking, and instruction. Most of them are married with children, and about 60% are Protestants. Near all went to higher, and many take avant-garde degrees too.

However, this mix has changed considerably in contempo years. For example, the 106th Congress (1999-2001) had 58 female Representatives and ix female Senators. Although this does non reflect the ratio of the general population, it represents large increases over past years. The number of African American Representatives has also increased significantly, and in that location is a growing number of Representatives from other indigenous minorities.

Incumbency

Pennsylvania Avenue 1895
This picture was taken on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1895, showing a gritty wintertime view of the nation's capital.

For the outset 50 years after the ratification of the Constitution, Representatives and Senators usually but served for short periods of fourth dimension. Travel was difficult, and before air conditioning and the massive swamp-draining that improved the comfort of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital was a pretty miserable boondocks. Almost served one or ii terms and returned domicile to take local or state level office. Perhaps they had been rewarded with a federal judgeship. Today many Representatives and Senators are reelected as incumbents repeatedly.

As career politicians, members actually alive in 2 worlds. They must work with party leaders, colleagues, and lobbyists in Washington, likewise as maintaining contact with their constituents at home. Most travel back to their home districts many times during the yr. They requite speeches, take meetings, discuss bug, and observe with their own eyes the needs of their district or state. Most have staffs in both places, and no matter which place they are, they must keep up with what is going on in the other.

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Pay and Perks

Congress pay
Legislators dictate congressional salaries, and authorize pay raises for the incoming Congress.

How well are members of Congress paid?. Of course, the best function is that they get to set their ain salaries. In the year 2021, the basic yearly bacon for members of Congress was $174,000. Congressional leaders, like the Speaker of the House and the Majority and Minority leaders, get more than.

So members of Congress are amid the superlative 1% of the nation's wage earners. However, they are prohibited by law from supplementing their income through honoraria or paid speaking engagements. Also, legislators take expenses that most people exercise not accept — two homes, entertainment of constituents, and campaign debt. And then of course, they do have some pretty big responsibilities.

Members of Congress are sometimes criticized for the number of perquisites — or perks — that they receive. For example, each member has an office, a large expense account, generous travel allowances, pension plans, and depression-toll health coverage. They even take free mail service, a perk known as the franking privilege.

They come from all over the country. They still tend to be older white males, and most of them take been in office for a number of years already. They are well paid, simply they have a neat many of import responsibilities. The calling of public service certainly has its benefits, merely political life generates headaches that many Americans would merely equally soon do without.