What Is True About The Makeup Of Congress

6d. Who Is in Congress?

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

A paunchy, older, silver-haired man with no facial hair wearing an sick-fitting dark suit. This is the image evoked in the minds of many Americans when they endeavour to picture a Representative or Senator. This stereotype is actually grounded in truth, although the makeup of Congress has changed a great deal in the past few decades.

Personal Characteristics

Senators and Representatives come from all parts of the United States, merely they do not reflect a true cantankerous section of America. Overall, members of Congress tend to be older, wealthier, and better educated than those they represent. Nearly half of them are lawyers, and a large number come up from business, cyberbanking, and education. Most of them are married with children, and near sixty% are Protestants. Nigh all went to college, and many have avant-garde degrees likewise.

Withal, this mix has changed considerably in recent years. For example, the 106th Congress (1999-2001) had 58 female person Representatives and nine female Senators. Although this does not 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 there is a growing number of Representatives from other ethnic minorities.

Incumbency

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

For the offset 50 years after the ratification of the Constitution, Representatives and Senators ordinarily only served for short periods of time. Travel was difficult, and before air conditioning and the massive swamp-draining that improved the comfort of Washington, D.C., the nation'south majuscule was a pretty miserable town. Most served i or ii terms and returned home to accept 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 live in two worlds. They must work with party leaders, colleagues, and lobbyists in Washington, as well equally maintaining contact with their constituents at home. Virtually travel back to their home districts many times during the year. They give speeches, accept meetings, discuss problems, and observe with their own eyes the needs of their commune or state. Well-nigh take staffs in both places, and no affair which identify they are, they must keep upwards 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 class, the best part is that they get to set their own salaries. In the twelvemonth 2021, the basic yearly salary for members of Congress was $174,000. Congressional leaders, similar the Speaker of the House and the Majority and Minority leaders, get more.

Then members of Congress are amidst the top 1% of the nation'south wage earners. However, they are prohibited by constabulary from supplementing their income through honoraria or paid speaking engagements. Also, legislators have expenses that most people do not accept — two homes, amusement of constituents, and entrada debt. So of grade, 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 business relationship, generous travel allowances, pension plans, and low-price wellness coverage. They fifty-fifty accept costless postal service, a perk known as the franking privilege.

They come from all over the land. They still tend to be older white males, and most of them have been in part for a number of years already. They are well paid, just they have a great many of import responsibilities. The calling of public service certainly has its benefits, but political life generates headaches that many Americans would only as soon practise without.