Do You Have To Push A Broom To Be A Good State Representative
A biennial study conducted by Nicholas Carnes from Duke University and Eric Hansen from Loyola University of Chicago found that just 116 of the nearly 7400 state legislators in the U.S. are from working class backgrounds.
An article about the study appeared in Florida Phoenix. The authors defined working class as those whose current or last job was as a manual laborer, in the service industry, clerical, or a member of a labor union. The definition seems kind of broad considering that a nurse could be a member of a union and have a nursing degree equivalent to a postgraduate one. A plumber does not need a college degree but can easily make in the low to upper six figures.
This stratification between working class and college educated means what exactly? I have my working-class roots. And until well into my twenties, I was in one of the categories listed above. I experienced times both as a kid and adult where lack of money was a problem for my family.
Though I often joke with my wife that I am just a “working guy,” I know that I no longer fit that role. But does that mean I have no memory for what hardship is like? When categorizing people, we must be careful about saying that only those who are working class can adequately represent and know what is best for their group.
According to that article, 50% of American workers are working class as defined in the study while only 1.6% of the legislators are. I don’t understand why the surprise by the numbers. A waitress trying to feed her family leaves little time for things like politics. An elected representative may have started out slinging hash but through luck and dint of talent and fortune, they were able to have financial success. Now public service is their way of giving back.
When someone comes to their position with a point of view shaped by early life, yet experience has broadened their horizons, doesn’t that make them a better representative? Lyndon Johnson was dirt poor as a child. He was a schoolteacher who never forgot how his rural black students lived. FDR never had a silver spoon that wasn’t sticking out of his mouth. Yet both gave us what little social safety programs we have in the U.S.
The key to representing the interests of all constituents is empathy. Seeing issues through only one prism does not allow for the passing of legislation that is considered sustainable. Programs that can be used by the greatest number of Americans will result in the greatest success.
You do not have to have a college or law degree to be a state representative. You also don’t need to be the guy who swept the floor before being elected. The best reps are those who come with an open mind and a willingness to see issues from many points of view.
