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 80% 18% 88% 8% 1997 81 17 88 10 1996 82 15 86 13 1995 83 17 84 13 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 96 1997 97 1996 97 1995 98	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 100% n/a 56% 0 % 1997 80 88 60 16 1996 80 82 25 5 1995 80 92 38 24
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

MISSOURI 5 : Kansas City and eastern suburbs

Mostly middle-class, Democratic residents live in Kansas City and the western Jackson County suburbs that make up the 5th. Although the city's suburban growth is greatest in its Kansas portion, Missouri communities have prospered.

A diverse economic base has enabled Kansas City to grow from a cow town. Transportation, telecommunications, steel and automobile production facilities highlight a solid industrial base. Many Missourians travel to Kansas or Missouri's 6th District to work at companies such as Sprint Communications or Ford. The federal government also is a large employer. And although its influence is a far cry from what it once was, the city is a major market for feeder cattle and winter wheat.

Hallmark Cards, the city's largest employer, built a popular new entertainment complex in the downtown area. Refurbishing the City Market and Quality Hill communities has lured younger, well-to-do residents to the city. Still, the contrasting neighborhoods on opposite sides of Troost Street remind residents of the economic disparity in the city, which largely runs along racial lines. Offshoot cities Blue Springs and Lee's Summit experienced double-digit population growth during the first half of the 1990s, and although the city Independence has not grown as much, it still accounts for about one-fifth of the district's vote.

The 5th's portion of Kansas City is solidly Democratic and socially moderate. Popular Rep. Alan Wheat, a black Democrat, represented the district from 1983-95, and the seat has remained under Democratic control.

Major Industry
Auto manufacturing, agriculture

Military Bases
Marine Corps Support Activity, 600 military, 200 civilian (1998)

Population
569,130 (1990)

Cities
Kansas City (pt.), 341,179; Independence (pt.), 111,215; Lee's Summit (pt.), 45,985 (1990)

People
99% urban; 14% age 65+ (ranks seventh of nine in state; top third nationally); 47% married couples, 20% married couples with children; 20% college educated (ranks second of nine in state; middle third nationally); 61% white collar (ranks second of nine in state; middle third nationally), 24% blue collar (ranks seventh of nine in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
73% white, 24% black, 1% Asian; 3% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$26,968 (ranks fourth of nine in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
President Harry S. Truman from Independence.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company