The city of Atlanta has been known to be a very populous city and according to the 2010 Census it is among the top ten populous cities within the U.S. The city is the largest city in Georgia and it is the center of Georgia’s cultural and social life. It is the capital to the Georgian State also acting as a cultural and economic center of the whole state. From the 2010 United States Census figures, the city of Atlanta was found out to have over 432,427 people living in it and this has further increased to approximately 443,775 people by 2012.
This region has over the years undergone several political changes since time immemorial. The city was inhabited by Creek and Cherokee Indians long before the arrival of European settlers until their arrival around the year 1821. Over the years, Atlanta has witnessed an increase in Black American population and this has grown such that by the 2010 United States Census, the city had a 54.0% of Black or African Americans making them the single most dominant race or ethnicity in the city. The whites made up 38.4%, the Asians 3.1% and the Native Americans accounting for 0.2% of the total population of the city. Hispanics and other races made up the rest of the population. This statistic shows the single most dominant race or ethnic group in the region to be Black or African Americans.
The real political players have over the years been known to be these racial and ethnic groups that have defined the face of politics in Atlanta for a long time. Unlike other parts of Georgia where the population of whites exceeds that of Black or African Americans, the population of Atlanta is different with the Black or African Americans being the majority and the whites the largest minority. This is one of the reasons why the Georgian capital to votes differently from other parts of the Georgian State. Throughout the years, the Whites in this area have supported republican candidates while the Black or African Americans have been democrats with most of the smaller races and ethnic groups voting together with them. Atlanta has grown to be among the number of cities within the United States that have a majority of the population being Black or African Americans. This city has over the years be known also as the African American political power center, it is also an education and culture to this group of individuals and is sometimes referred to as black mecca. This makes those who hold the most political power in Atlanta to be Black or African Americans due to their majority in population size.
The strength of the Black or African American political power in Atlanta is very evident because most of the political leaders voted in this region are Blacks or African Americans. It is also an undisputed fact that since the year 1973 all the mayors that have been elected in Atlanta have been Blacks or African Americans further showing how strong they are politically speaking in the region.
Historically speaking, the city of Atlanta has stood a stronghold for the Democratic Party for many years. As much as municipal elections are officially nonpartisan, it is worth noting that nearly all of the city’s elected officials are publicly registered Democrats who are strong in the party. The city is divided into 14 state house districts and four state senate districts. It is no coincidence that all the seats are occupied by Democrats. Checking at the federal level, the city of Atlanta is fragmented amongst congressional districts. Democrat John Lewis represents the northern three-fourths of the city that is located in the 5th district. Democrat David Scott represents the other district known as the southern fourth and it is a 13th district.
It is worth noting that there are some other political players within the region that holds sway during the election period. The other political player in the region is religion that has also been seen to have a hand on most of the politics in the area. This area is largely made up of Protestant Christians although there is also a strong presence of Catholicism. There are also a number of ethnic Christian congregations with the presence of Korean and Indian Churches. The presence of large non-Christian faiths is in the form of Judaism and Hinduism. The Christians due to their numbers have always tended to elect their fellow Christians making them another political power in the region. This is evident because most elected leaders from this area are always conservative and are mainly Christian.
Although the Christians form the majority of the population in Atlanta, their political power is not as strong as that posed by the Black or African Americans. The Black or African Americans are the single most important political power in the city of Atlanta and it is only through their blessing that one can be voted into an office within the area. This makes them the strongest political players in the region apart from the elected political leaders in the region.
Works Cited
Dewan, Shaila (March 11, 2006). "Gentrification Changing Face of New Atlanta". The New York Times.
"New Georgia Encyclopedia, "Fulton County"". Retrieved from www.georgiaencyclopedia.org. accessed on 3rd March 2014.
"US Census Bureau". 2010. Accessed from www.census.gov Retrieved on march 3rd 2014.
