• U.S. Government

    U.S. and Congressional Demographics Webquest

    United States Demographics

    Use the following website to answer questions 1-7:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States#Median_age


    1.      What was the total U.S. population in 2010 based on the U.S. Census?

     

    2.      What percentage of the U.S. population is:
    a.       Non-Hispanic White?

    b.      Black or African American?

    c.       Asian American?

    d.      American Indian/Native American?

    e.       Hispanic/ Latino?

    3.      What percentage of Americans is
    a.       Protestant?

    b.      Catholic?

    c.       Jewish?

    d.      Buddhist?

    e.       Muslim?

    f.       No religion?

    4.      What was the median income level (all households) in the U.S.?

     

    5.      How much money did a household have to make to be in the top 1% of household income?

     

    6.      What is the median age in the United States?

     

    7.      What percentage of the U.S. population was foreign born (2009)?
     
     

    Congressional Demographics

    Use the following website to answer questions 8-13:

    http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-10/the-113th-congress-by-the-numbers

    8.      Which political party has a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives (435 total seats)? The Senate (100 total seats)?

     

    9.      How many independents are in the House of Representatives? The Senate?

     

    10. What are the top 2 occupations in both the House of Representatives and the Senate?

     

    11. What percentage [(number ÷ 433) x 100 = %] of the House of Representatives is female? The Senate [(number ÷ 100) x 100 = %]?

     

    12. What percentage [(number ÷ 433) x 100 = %] of the House of Representatives is male? The Senate [(number ÷ 100) x 100 = %]?

     

    13. How many openly gay members of the House of Representatives are there? The Senate?

     

    Use the following website to answer questions 14-19:

    http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42964.pdf

    14. What percentage [(number ÷ 432) x 100 = %] of the House of Representatives is:
    a.       Non-Hispanic White?

    b.      Black or African American?

    c.       Asian American?

    d.      American Indian/Native American?

    e.       Hispanic/ Latino?

    15. What percentage [(number ÷ 100) x 100 = %]  of the Senate is:
    a.       Non-Hispanic White?

    b.      Black or African American?

    c.       Asian American?

    d.      American Indian/Native American?

    e.       Hispanic/ Latino?

    16. What percentage [(number ÷ 432) x 100 = %] of the House of Representatives is:
    a.       Under 40 years of age?

    b.      Over 70 years of age?

    17. What percentage [(number ÷ 100) x 100 = %]  of the Senate is:
    a.       Under 40 years of age?

    b.      Over 70 years of age?

     

    18. What percentage [(number ÷ 432) x 100 = %] of the House of Representatives is new members?

     

    19. What percentage [(number ÷ 100) x 100 = %]  of the Senate is new members?

     

    Use the following website to answer questions 20-22:

    http://www.pewforum.org/2012/11/16/faith-on-the-hill-the-religious-composition-of-the-113th-congress/

    20. What percentage of the House of Representatives is:
    a.       Protestant?

    b.      Catholic?

    c.       Mormon?

    d.      Jewish?

    e.       Buddhist?

    f.       Muslim?

    g.      Unaffiliated/ No Religion?

    21. What percentage of the Senate is:
    a.       Protestant?

    b.      Catholic?

    c.       Mormon?

    d.      Jewish?

    e.       Buddhist?

    f.       Muslim?

    g.      Unaffiliated/ No religion?

    22. Which of these religious denominations has:
    a.       lost members in Congress over the last 50 years?

     

    b.      gained members in Congress over the last 50 years?


    Use the following website to answer questions 23-26:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/congress-diversity-113-members-sworn-in_n_2404848.html

    23. What major demographic “shift” has occurred for House Democrats in the 113th Congress?

     

     

    24. What are some of the demographic “firsts” that have occurred in the 113th Congress?

     

     

     

    25. Which demographic group(s) is/are:
    a.       Overrepresented in both houses of Congress?

     

    b.      Underrepresented in both houses of Congress?

     

    1.      26. Based on your answers in questions 11-21 and 23-25 which house of Congress is more diverse demographically, the House of Representatives or the Senate? Why do you think this is the case (Hint: think geographically about who elects the House versus who elects the Senate?



     


    Use the following website to answer question 27:

    http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/13/1175491/113th-congress-diversity/

    27. Is the 113th Congress more or less diverse than previous Congresses? Why?