CQ Voting Studies are an annual analysis of a member's support or opposition to a given position. Interest Group Ratings are based on rankings from groups chosen to represent liberal, conservative, business and labor viewpoints.Voting Participation scores are based on the number of times a member voted "yea" or "nay" on roll call votes (not including quorum calls in the House). CQ Vote Studies Year Presidential Support Party Unity   S* O* S O 1998 77% 11% 90% 3% 1997 73 23 95 4 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 90 1997 97	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 90% n/a 28% 0 % 1997 100 100 30 12
Note on Interest Groups: ADA=Americans for Democratic Action; AFL-CIO=American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations; CCUS=Chamber of Commerce of the United States; ACU=American Conservative Union

MICHIGAN 15 : Parts of Detroit; Grosse Pointe; Hamtramck; River Rouge

General Motors built Detroit on a thriving American auto industry over the first half of the 20th century. Then riots in 1967 and the oil crisis of the 1970s decimated Detroit's economy and turned the city into a virtual war zone. The 15th suffered the worst of the 1967 riots in terms of property damage and deaths. For a time, Detroit was even known as the "Beirut of America." The downtown and waterfront, covered by the 15th, have been a target for intensive redevelopment. In the late 1990s, the city built two new stadiums as part of a massive entertainment complex, and three new casinos are in the works.

But it remains to be seen whether spill-over from these ventures will spur new businesses. The city still has relatively high taxes and a reputation for crime, while many of the affluent suburbs that surround Detroit have become regional office centers and have lured companies away from the city.

Even with the inclusion of a few wealthy, white communities - Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Park and Grosse Pointe Farms - Michigan's 15th District is one of the poorest in the nation. It also has the highest rate of infant mortality in the nation. Along with the 14th, it delivers Democratic votes by huge margins, often offsetting the Republican influence in Michigan's southeast.

Major Industry
Auto and auto parts manufacturing, county and municipal government

Population
580,933 (1990)

Cities
Detroit (pt.), 510,460 (1990); Hamtramck, 18,262; Grosse Pointe Park, 12,869 (1996)

People
100% urban; 14% age 65+ (ranks second of 16 in state; top third nationally); 27% married couples, 11% married couples with children; 11% college educated (ranks 16 of 16 in state; bottom third nationally); 51% white collar (ranks 11 of 16 in state; bottom third nationally), 28% blue collar (ranks 11 of 16 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
26% white, 70% black, 1% Asian; 4% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$15,264 (ranks 16 of 16 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Belle Isle Zoo; Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company