Assessing the legislative agenda and legislative behavior of the Congressional Black Caucus from 1992-2012, the 102nd through the 112th Congresses

The interests of African Americans are underrepresented in Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus was formed to further the interests of African Americans. However, how effective the CBC may be in its congressional representation of the African American community is subject to dispute. It was hypothesized that throughout the 102nd through the 112th Congress (1992–2012), the CBC’s legislative behavior persuaded party leaders to advance the CBC’s legislative agenda. Archival data gathered by Scott Adler and John Wilkerson in their Congressional Bills Project 1947–2012 was utilized to complete the study. Linear regression T-tests and Chi-square tests were used to assess CBC members’ legislative behavior and the likelihood of the CBC introducing legislation that supported its legislative agenda. The results of the study show that the CBC demonstrated a robust legislative behavior of bill sponsorship, floor speeches and press conferences in support of its legislative agenda. The presence of the CBC in Congress is substantive, necessary to the success of legislation affecting African American interest and its’ legislative behavior is statistically significant compared to non-CBC members of Congress. The study validates, as essential, the presence of African American members of Congress