Answer to Question 1
An ideal response will:
1, Define descriptive representation as the degree to which a body such as Congress represents the makeup of the country as a whole.
2, Explain that on a national scale, America is a melting pot of people from different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
3, Explain that women and minorities are severely underrepresented in Congress, citing examples from Figure 11.1.Women make up about half of the population, but only 20 percent of the Senate.
4, Explain that when a group is underrepresented in Congress or is without any representation, there is a lack of focus on that group's issues, making it hard to pass legislation related to that group's interests.
Answer to Question 2
An ideal response will:
1, Describe the constitutional factors that have shaped the U.S. electoral system.
2, Explain how the U.S. electoral system differs from most European democracies.
3, Investigate the factors that have altered the electoral system for better or worse. The influence of interest and advocacy groups should be assessed in detail.
4, Assess the strengths and deficiencies in the American system in relation to other democracies, offering suggestions for feasible and useful change in promoting American democracy.
5, Offer a compelling summary and conclusion.
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