Poor Representation : Congress and the Politics of Poverty in the United States

This book is the first to systematically examine whether and how the poor are represented by Congress. Drawing on three decades of data, Miler shows that, while poverty is politically salient and the poor are politically visible to legislators, the poor are grossly underrepresented relative to other subgroups.

Tens of millions of Americans live in poverty, but this book reveals that they receive very little representation in Congress. While a burgeoning literature examines the links between political and economic inequality, this book is the first to comprehensively examine the poor as a distinct constituency. Drawing on three decades of data on political speeches, party platforms, and congressional behavior, Miler first shows that, contrary to what many believe, the poor are highly visible to legislators. Yet, the poor are grossly underrepresented when it comes to legislative activity, both by Congress as a whole and by individual legislators, even those who represent high-poverty districts. To take up their issues in Congress, the poor must rely on a few surrogate champions who have little district connection to poverty but view themselves as broader advocates and often see poverty from a racial or gender-based perspective.