Yvette D. Clarke

Where Clarke stands

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

More than any other institution in government, when properly incentivized and insulated from the corrupting influence of monied interests, the House of Representatives does genuinely have the capacity to reflect the will of the American people. In a world of highly scientific data collection, it becomes increasingly difficult to have confidence in a select group of individuals to gauge public opinion. Considering the abysmal approval rating of the legislative boy, it comes as no surprise that many would question Congress' commitment to promoting the interests of the general public. However, when operating as intended no other institution has a similar singular responsibility to act to promote the interests of the American public.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Government experience is beneficial for representatives if for no other reason than that legislating is at the end of the day a job. Like any other job, especially one as removed from other industries as public service, working in government requires mastering skills specific to working in government. On the congressional level, this includes not only the parliamentary specifics of a given chamber but also identifying the pressure points necessary to promote actioning your agenda. While the basic interpersonal skills that make a representative give at their job can be developed away from Capitol Hill, it would be difficult to understand how to effectively navigate Congress without having first hand experience doing so.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Two years give representatives the ability to work diligently towards legislative goals that they may have while the periodic spectre of elections helps mitigate the possibility of institutional corruption.