BYU–Hawaii students said because the United States is a diverse country, diversity in government representatives are needed to represent the people better.
“We need our people in our government to both represent us and to be knowledgeable of the daily life of an American right now,” said Olivia Hixson, a sophomore from California majoring in hospitality and tourism management.
Derek Whetten, an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Business & Government, said he believes there is value in having diversity in government and said minority views are more likely to be considered if minorities are involved in the government.
“The larger the variety of perspectives and insights that go into a decision or solution, the more likely the government actions will better serve a greater percentage of the people who are affected by the decision or solution.”
Deylan Gudiel, a sophomore from Oregon majoring in communications, said having diversity in government allows for more perspectives to represent the American people better.
“A lot of times, we have straight white men making laws [affecting], say, Black transgender women where they can’t truly understand those people.
“I think it’s really important to have women who can help to be a voice for women and Black people to be a voice for their communities because they’re the ones who truly understand their communities and truly know the issues.”
Diversity in political affiliation is significant, Gudiel said, and it brings various ideas and values in place to make compromises.
“I personally think the answer to almost all issues is found somewhere in between, where the sides can work together, rather than there being such polarized and extreme views on opposite ends of the spectrum.”
By having diverse ideas and leaders who are willing to work together and compromise, the best decisions can be reached, Hixson said. “That’s just how our government works, is having opposition and having those big conversations. Hopefully, in the grand scheme of things that helps us get the best decisions, and the best policies and the best laws.”
Hixson said diversity could also help the younger generation in being able to see themselves in government leaders and be inspired by these leaders.
She explained as a woman, she finds inspiration in government figures like U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Whetten said he believes having more diversity would encourage citizens, especially minorities, to be more involved with the government. “Citizens tend to feel more ownership of and support for their government when they feel the government officials reflect the citizens; the minority members of a community are more likely to engage with their government if the government reflects their diversity.”
Because the majority elects the government leaders, Whetten said a diverse governing body could be difficult to attain.
Whetten said as humans, it’s difficult to separate ourselves from our self-interest, and so “values like security and prosperity are more important to us than diversity.
“While a lot of us appreciate the value of diverse perspectives in our government, we tend to vote for representatives who reflect our own views... Even when there are organized and sustained efforts to recruit diverse candidates, it’s an uphill battle.”
Gudiel said it is also necessary to avoid “tokenizing” minorities to create the appearance of diversity while simultaneously ignoring their insights and values.
He added he believes people shouldn’t be chosen for positions solely on being a minority but should “gain positions based on their own qualifications and merit.”