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  • The Atlantic

    House Republicans and Democrats Represent Divergent Americas

    An <em>Atlantic</em> analysis finds that congressional districts’ racial makeup, and their residents’ level of education, largely determines which party represents them in the House.
    by Ronald Brownstein Jan 29, 2017 7 minutes
    Source: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

    Across lines of race, education, age, and geography, Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives increasingly represent two distinct nations, with strikingly little crossover.

    An Atlantic analysis of the latest census data shows that the House districts represented by the two parties overwhelmingly track the same demographic and economic fissures that guided the fierce presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. This widening chasm between the two sides will shape both the legislative debate over the coming two years and the next competition for control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections.

    Mirror Images

    In many ways, through their House delegations, the two parties now represent mirror-image Americas. Among the key distinctions:

    Over four-fifths of House Republicans represent districts where the white share of the population exceeds the national average; over two-thirds of House Democrats represent districts where the non-white share of the population exceeds the national average.

    Nearly three-fourths of House Republicans represent districts where the share of white adults with a college degree lags below the national average; nearly two-thirds of House Democrats represent districts where the share of whites with a college degree exceeds the national average.

    Almost three-fifths of House Republicans represent districts where the

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