Do America’s Elected Officials Reflect Our Population?
Not Even Close.
How Does Your State Rank in the National Representation Index?
Created by the New Organizing Institute, the National Representation Index measures political representation by race and gender, and is weighted to account for geographic population differences.
America is a nation founded on an ideal that all people are equal and have a stake in how our nation is governed. While we may not always succeed, ours is a history of pursuing this vision. It’s not enough that women and citizens of all races can vote – every American must also have equal access to lead.
Who Leads Us is a project of Women Donors Network. Our goal is to provide the American people with a way to measure our progress toward a democracy where our leaders reflect the people they serve. The data you see presented on this website comes from a first-of-its kind exploration of the race and gender composition of more than 42,000 American elected officials, conducted in the Summer of 2014. This data was analyzed in comparison to Census data, confirming that the face of America’s leadership bears little resemblance to our country’s population.
We’re strongest when our leadership reflects the full range of talent and lived experience that America has to offer. That’s why we’re working for change. Together with other advocates and funders, we are working to level the playing field for all who wish to represent their communities in elected office. Let’s build a democracy that reflects all of us.
Resources
Methodology And Key Findings Of The Elected Official Demographic Research
NOI Reflective Democracy Methodology Summary
Reflective Democracy Dataset
Major Findings of 800-Sample Opinion Poll
Campaign Overview
Press Release
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