STUDENT EDITORIAL: Representation on the Ballot

COVID-19 precaution and prevention is not the only thing America is behind in. Women and minorities are overwhelmingly underrepresented in the US government. Even with more women and minorities running for office, most Americans agree that there is still a big gap in representation. 

Survey results show that seven in ten women   say there is not enough representation for women and minorities. When asked the same question, only half of men agreed. Gender isn’t the only thing that plays a factor in how those surveyed felt. Political party affiliation, current living situation, race/ ethnicity, and age were also defining factors. 

To combat this in America, more women and minorities need to have the confidence to run for offices at a state and federal level. That also means all political parties and the majority of people in the country need to be on the same page: equality for all. America was once just represented by only white males, but the country is slowly making gains towards equality. 

With the diversity within America increasing, politics and government needs to be diversified. Children of this country watch the news and watch our political leaders speak; they need to see that race, gender, and ethnicity does not define the amount of  success they will achieve. 

Across the Atlantic ocean to Europe, there is a broader spectrum of representation. This is because their parties have internal and external pressure to be inclusive when selecting candidates. These countries have laws set in place to ensure proper representation of all genders, races, and ethnicities. The Nordic countries have the most equal representation with women holding 41.7 percent of seats in parliament.