Given its headline—"'Democracy has been hijacked by white men': how minority rule now grips America"—I wish to add a word of clarification. Neither I nor the article assert a kind of reverse discrimination, suggesting that white men are inherently bad people. In the United States, power has historically been vested in the white majority, specifically men. This is not (at all) controversial. Many have been dutiful public servants; many have not.
By the same logic, being female and/or from a minority group does not guarantee that that person will tend to their duties with integrity and virtue. For example, it is testament to great strides that an African-American (the second) has a seat on the Supreme Court. Yet, Justice Clarence Thomas, while representing progress, is himself an opponent of progress and has dedicated his time on the bench to serving corporate power and an ultra-conservative agenda. Condoleezza Rice, a female African-American who was national security advisor and secretary of state under George W. Bush, is a war criminal and should be in prison. The list goes on, but is not the point.
The issue is simply, as the article inquires, "why America's elected officials don’t look more like America." I will let the article speak for itself, the conclusions of which are sound. To illustrate one of those conclusions, I wanted to present some simple figures that help bring into view an important factor in why Americans aren't better represented.
Admittedly, my presentation of these figures risks oversimplification of the matter. That is, it doesn't take into account considerations of systemic racism, financial power, tactics like voter suppression and gerrymandering, and so on. However, I do think the results of the 2016 presidential general election are a good place to start a conversation on the subject. They say a lot. Especially that last one.
Trump: 62.9 million
Clinton: 65.8 million
Johnson (Libertarian): 4.4 million
Stein (Green): 1.4 million
Clinton: 65.8 million
Johnson (Libertarian): 4.4 million
Stein (Green): 1.4 million
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Total votes: 136.6 million
Total votes: 136.6 million
Voting-age population: 245.5 million
Didn't vote: 108.9 million
Back in January, House Democrats proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. This would certainly help with voter turnout, a fact not lost on Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. In response to the proposed legislation, McConnell commented,"Just what America needs: another paid holiday." He also dismissed the concept as a "power grab." The Kentucky lawmaker, of course, knows well what increased voter turnout would mean for his party and its priorities. A power grab, indeed.
