Congressional Demographics

Demographic Information

American People

Members of the House

Members of the Senate

Average Age

38.2 years old

58.4 years old

64.3 years old

Percentage of Minorities

40.10%

26.3%

14.6%

Percentage of Women

50.80%

27.7%

24.00%

The age, race, and gender demographics of the American population differ markedly from those of the 117th Congress, which may impact their policy preferences and priorities. While the average age of all U.S. citizens is 38.2 years old, members of the House of Representatives are, on average, 58.4 years old, and Senate members are 64.3 years old (United States Census Bureau). Furthermore, minorities constitute 40.1% of the American population but only 26.3% of the House of Representatives and 14.6% of the Senate, while women make up 50.8% of the population but comprise only 27.7% of the House of Representatives and 24.0% of the Senate. This suggests that Congress is considerably older and less diverse than the American population, which may have important implications for policymaking (Congressional Research Service, 2022; United States Census Bureau, 2021).

The demographic differences between the American people and the members of Congress could affect the types of policies created. For instance, younger individuals tend to support progressive policies on climate change and income inequality, but the older age of Congress members may indicate less priority on these issues. Furthermore, research has shown that racial and gender diversity can significantly impact policymaking. For example, female lawmakers are more likely to introduce bills related to issues such as health care, education, and reproductive rights, while African American lawmakers are more likely to introduce bills related to issues such as civil rights and criminal justice reform (Mendelberg and Karpowitz, 2016; Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 2019). Consequently, the underrepresentation of certain demographic groups in Congress may result in certain issues being neglected in policymaking.

Given these demographic differences, policymakers must consider them when developing policies and strive to increase diversity in Congress to ensure equal representation of all Americans.

References

Congressional Research Service. (2022). Membership of the 117th Congress: A Profile. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46705

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. (2019). Diversity among U.S. Senate staffers: 2019. Retrieved from https://jointcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Racial-Diversity-Among-Top-Senate-Staff-12-2-15-140-pm-2.pdf

Mendelberg, T., & Karpowitz, C. F. (2016). Women's authority in political decision-making groups. The leadership quarterly, 27(3), 487-503.

United States Census Bureau. (2021). QuickFacts: United States. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045218