We await the new face of American politics
By Sarah Haefner | Feature Editor
The months following the American struggle for independence, fought not only with arms and brute strength, but ideological vigor and dogma, carved a political landscape marked by the ability of a government to work on behalf of the people.
This representative quality has been historically mitigated and threatened by various presidential administrations, but today the principle of majority rule and minority rights persists as the cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution.
But, as the CIA world factbook designates, minority groups now consist of one-third of the United States population, and as these numbers grow, questions arise as to who can be considered a minority anymore, and perhaps more pertinent, whether the rising number of ethnic groups in the country is reflected in the members of Congress and those holding political office.
Red or blue, Republican or Democrat, the current election season has progressed with fervor and excitement on both sides of the aisle. Whichever candidate claims office in January 2009, the presidential and vice-presidential offices will take on a decidedly different face.
It is worth noting, however, that Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin is not the first woman to run for such a prestigious office, nor is Senator Barack Obama the first African-American to run for president.
Women had been bidding for the nomination even before they were legally permitted to vote, but Geraldine Ferraro claims the title of first vice-presidential candidate for a major political party in 1984. Among other women setting precedents in the U.S. government, Jeanette Rankin was elected in 1916 to the House of Representatives and Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to the House of Representatives in 1968.
Persons of various cultural heritages have also paved new beginnings in American politics. Carl B. Stokes was elected in 1962 as the first African-American mayor of a large U.S. city—Cincinnati. Colin Powell served under the George W. Bush administration as secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, the first African American to do so, and his successor Condoleeza Rice is the first African American woman to hold the title as well. In 2006, Congressman Keith Ellison was the first Muslim elected to Congress and Congressman Andre Carson was the first Muslim elected to congressional office from Indiana. In 1892, Charles Curtis, of Native-American ancestry, was elected to the House of Representatives and in 1957, Representative Dalip Singh Saund, an immigrant from India, was the first Asian-American in Congress.
Although the preceding representatives provide a mere glimpse into the progression of diversity in politics, their accomplishments have not occurred without significance. The current race for the White House is a testament to that fact.
However, according to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Web sites, the 110th Congress boasts of 43 African-Americans, 26 Hispanic-Americans, 8 Asian-Americans, 1 Native-American and 89 women. Not including women, minority groups constitute 17 percent of Congress despite constituting 33 percent of the population.
This slight dichotomy may be explained by U.S. political history.
“Voting used to be reserved for the elite, white males and property holders,” said associate professor of history and political science Ted Frantz. “But the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s was a key turning point, and its legacy ultimately led to more people running for office.”
Legislative strides, alongside the efforts of individuals, have shaped the modern American government system as one that could provide the possibility for a forum of different voices, but some wonder if the system in and of itself may hinder minority groups from entering politics.
Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson cannot claim to hold such a viewpoint.
“I think our system is the best there is and that we’ve made tremendous progress in the last 40 years,” Long Thompson said.
The current election has also brought to the forefront the question of ethnicity, gender and faith of a candidate as a deciding factor for voters. Even in Indiana’s governor race, people may presume that gender is playing a role, though Long Thompson discredits this claim as well.
“The major issue for the people of Indiana is the economy,” Long Thompson said.
On the national level, presidential candidate Barack Obama discussed his view on race in the nation on March 18 at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, stating that “the fact that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through.”
Whether the U.S. citizens decide to embrace cultural differences, adopt a philosophy of color-blindness or allow tomorrow’s public to inherent the issue, an increase in representation to many is a sign of progression.
“Different perspectives bring about different policies and probably will allow us to look at the world a different way,” Frantz said.
Thompson agrees with this sentiment.
“Better decisions are made when more people are included in the process. Not one person has all the answers,” Thompson said
The implications of the 2008 race will undeniably litter the history books of tomorrow’s youth.
“Beyond the politics of symbolism, depending on who wins, this can be a transformational thing,” Frantz said.
