Nancy Pelosi
Introduction
The House of Representatives works in collaboration with the Senate on creating legislation that is later forwarded to the president who will sign them into law. For an individual to become a House representative, they must be voted for by the majority of voters. For an individual to retain their seat in the House, they must demonstrate their ability to lead people and serve as an example to their constituents. One such representative is Nancy Pelosi who has been on the American political scene for quite some time now. This extraordinary woman is a great politician, whose life should be analyzed to point out the areas, in which she has excelled, and the reasons behind her success.
The Representative
Nancy Patricia D’Alesandro Pelosi is a Democrat. Currently, she is the Representative of the 12th congressional district of California.
Biography/Political Socialization
Nancy Pelosi was born in Baltimore on March 26, 1940 to Thomas J. D’ Alesandro Jr. and Annunciata M. “Nancy” D’Alesandro. She is the youngest and the only female of the six children in the family. Years later, she would follow her father’s example by becoming a House representative. Nancy Pelosi grew up in a Catholic neighborhood that was dominated by adamant supporters of the Democratic Party. In her teenage years, she accompanied her father in his campaigns. She was known among many under the nickname ‘the mayor’s daughter’. Her father was the legend of Baltimore. During the 1950s, Catholic dominance in the city was rather serious, so parents put strict restrictions on their children. Young Nancy was sent to Notre Dame High School (for girls only) in Baltimore. Afterward, she attended Trinity College, from which she graduated in 1962. She was later admitted as an intern for a Maryland Senator. During this time, she fell in love with Paul Pelosi, while the majority of her peers continued their education in law school.
In 1969, she and her husband had a child after their move to San Francisco. In San Francisco, Pelosi volunteered during election campaigns and worked with Jerry Brown who ran for the governor. Many people felt that she had great influence; she headed the team, for which she had picked the slogan “Brown for President”. Brown won the election thanks to her stiff campaign. However, in the same year, Brown lost to Jimmy Carter (McGhee and Krimm). Even though Pelosi had not shown any interest in running for office, things changed unexpectedly when her mentor was diagnosed with cancer and nominated her to contest for the U.S House of Representatives. She comfortably won this election in 1988 with a margin of 80%. Thus, her political career began in San Francisco, and after her tremendous work, during the next election, she was elected to represent her district in Washington. After being a House representative for 14 years, in 2002, she was elected as the first woman ever to represent the minority. As the House minority leader, she defeated Rep. Harold Ford of Tennessee in 177-29 votes.
Our Advantages
Area of Representation
Nancy Pelosi’s district is located in San Francisco, California. The majority of its residents belong to the Democrats. Nevertheless, they have different and surprising opinions and ideologies. Specifically, the residents of San Francisco differ in their views on taxes as 48% feel that they need to pay more taxes to enjoy more government services, while 43% think that taxes do not match the services that they receive (Epstein). Many people also feel that immigrants take away their space and jobs, which makes them a burden to society, but 44% think that immigrants bring benefits and make locals’ lives easier. The views of the district’s residents relate directly to their representative’s ideology. Pelosi advocates increased funding for AIDS programs and more pay to workers. She has also worked with unions. Pelosi has introduced policies that help achieve cheaper healthcare, improve the environment, and demand accountability and transparency from the government. She does everything to ensure her constituents that she protects their interests.
Committees and Caucuses
Nancy Pelosi served on the Intelligence and Appropriations committees. She is also a member of the House Baltic Caucus, and she holds this position even though she has been elected the minority leader (Raymond). Consequently, the work in these committees has enabled her to use her expertise to serve the people she represents. Pelosi has been able to influence the agenda toward the party’s standard. These committees provide a stage where the party’s standards can be fronted and advocated before it gets to the floor of the House.
Iron Triangle Connection
Pelosi’s campaigns have been mostly funded by her party members. Thus, many Democrats contributed $490,427, health professionals – $266,490, Facebook – $15,400, and salesforce.com – $14,100; her campaign funds were majorly raised through a cocktail reception and a breakfast reception (Gumbel). Although she received little funding from the people she represented, the majority had voted for her, thus making an immense contribution to her rise as a House representative. This fundraising helps Pelosi can represent her constituents well since they are the ones who have funded her campaigns and voted for her.
Media
The media has covered Pelosi’s career both positively and negatively. For instance, CNN covered her on various occasions on September 3, 2017, during the 9 p.m. bulleting, with analysts praising her role in the House and what she had done for the country (Jarrett). CNBC news also described her as a grandmother, mother, and citizen of goodwill who serves Americans with dedication (“Nancy Pelosi”). 10news has also featured her in her ventures and her quest to advocate better pay for workers (“Nancy Pelosi”). Pelosi has also been invited numerous times to Fox News to discuss issues of national importance.
How it works
Step 1
Visit our website and go to the order form
Step 2
Fill in specific essay details in your order description section
Step 3
Pay for your custom essay and get your order verified
Step 4
Process of writing your academic assignment
Step 5
Editing and anti-plagiarism check
Step 6
On-time delivery of an already written essayHowever, despite being positively presented in the media, Nancy Pelosi still received some negativity. Her political competitors highlighted her weaknesses and made her look like a bad leader. For instance, The New York Times reported that she was slammed by Marcia Fudge and her intention to run for the minority position (Fandos). New York Magazine also reported that voters were not afraid of her (Raymond). Her critics felt that she had come to power because of the success of her father, a respected leader and that without her father’s success, she could not have achieved her current success (Levitz). However, these critics forget to acknowledge that Pelosi has worked hard and she has had great support from her family and friends. Thus, despite some negativity, the media coverage of Nancy Pelosi is positive.
Conclusion
Nancy Pelosi is one phenomenal House representative who has made an immense contribution to American political life. She deserves all the praise that receives. Her policies have changed the lives of her constituents and the country as a whole. Her success has been the result of hard work and dedication. Even though she had started her political career with her mentor’s withdrawal from elections, she used this rare opportunity fully to become an outstanding politician. Pelosi represents her district with dignity, aiming to improve the lives of people and become a better leader. Her hard work and dedication have helped her remain on the political scene of the USA for so long.
