Articles by Dr. LaShonda Brenson
Dr. LaShonda Brenson
Racial Diversity Among Top Staff in Senate Personal Offices
By LaShonda Brenson, Ph.D. and Kimberly Victor This report, Racial Diversity Among Top Staff in Senate Personal Offices, provides evidence regarding the need for more racial diversity among U.S.…
Building a More Inclusive Agenda: A Survey of Congressional Priorities Across Race — Racial Equity Priorities
By LaShonda Brenson, Ph.D. and Kimberly Victor Discussions about race-conscious policies, the policies that address systemic barriers facing people of color, have experienced a resurgence in recent years. Proponents of…
Congressional Top Priorities: Passing Legislation to Ensure Americans Have the Right to Vote is Respondents’ Top Priority
As the 118th Congress enters the last months of the year, it faces a number of pressing priorities. Right now, members of Congress seek to confirm presidential appointees and pass…
Digging Deeper: 2023 Senate Democratic Caucus Diversity Numbers
By Dr. LaShonda Brenson and Kimberly Victor On July 13, 2023, the Senate Democratic Caucus released an update of its demographic data on Democratic staff (find 2023 numbers here and…
Pessimism and Hope: A Survey of the Financial Status and Aspirations of Black Americans
For the report, Pessimism and Hope: A Survey of the Financial Status and Aspirations of Black Americans, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and NORC at the…
Joint Center Tracker Update of Racial Diversity of Top Staff Hires in 118th Congress
By LaShonda Brenson Ph.D. and Kimberly Victor There are 1,602 top positions (chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications directors) in the personal offices of new and returning members of…
Racial Diversity Among Top Staff in the U.S. House of Representatives
This report, “Racial Diversity Among Top Staff in the U.S. House of Representatives,” provides evidence regarding the lack of racial diversity among top staff in the U.S. House of…
Senate Staffers of Color Earn Less Pay Than Whites
Senate Staffers of Color Earn Less Pay Than Whites Demonstrates Need to Hire More Senior-Level Staffers of Color This week, LegiStorm, a web-based platform that identifies congressional staff,…
Digging Deeper: 2022 Senate Democratic Caucus Diversity Numbers
On July 13, 2022, the Senate Democratic Caucus released an update of its demographic data on Democratic staff (find 2022 numbers here and 2021 numbers here). The analysis below ranks…
Racial Diversity Among U.S. Senate State Directors
Senators and their staff invest significant time and resources providing constituent services in their state offices, so it is essential to understand the demographic makeup of the state directors who…