WASHINGTON， Sept. 23—The House of Representatives， which prides itself on being “the Peoples House” has been turning into arich man’s club.
The representatives newly elected in 1984 were almost four times as wealthy as the first term lawmakers elected only six years before，according to a new study on the members financial reports.
Behind this remarkable swing， the study says， are two main factors： a court decision that outlawed limits on what candidates couldgive to their own campaigns， and the enormous growth in the cost of pursuing a seat in congress. As a result， it is increasingly difficultfor candidates of modest means， particularly women to amount successful challenge to entrenched office holders.
One solution， the authors contend， is a system of public financing for campaigns， but congress seems in no mood to change thepolitical rules any time soon.
“The lower chamber is going upper class，” said Mark Green， the president of The Democracy Project， a public policy institute based inNew York. “But this evolution from a House of Representatives to a House of Lords denies the diversity of our democracy. It establishes ade facto property qualification for office that increasingly says： low and middle income need not apply.
The Democracy Project produced the study in cooperation with the United States Public Interest Research Group， a similar institutesituated in Washington. But their research was not entirely theoretical. In 1980 Mr. Green was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate forCongress in New Yorks 15th District， in Manhattan. The winner was Bill Green， one of the wealthiest members of Congress.
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