Representative Function Of Congress

Question 1

What is the most important role of congress ?

Answer 1

Representation

Question 2

each member of congress has a direct to represent what ?

Answer 2

Have a direct mandate to represent the constituent in their district/state and represent nation as a whole especially during midterm elections

Question 3

Congress represents the nation as a whole when what happens

Answer 3

When electorate has the opportunity to show their views on the presidental performance so far

Question 4

What are the different ways to think about representation

Answer 4

1. Trustee model
2. Delegate model
3. Resemblance model

Question 5

What is the Trustee model ?

Answer 5

Representation model that believes that elected representatives are given responsibility to exercise their judgement and help accountable for their next election

Question 6

Connection with congress and trustee model ?

Answer 6

Most members of congress see their representatives function in theses terms
Especially senators who are elected for 6 years and more insulated from short term view of the population

Question 7

What is the delegate model ?

Answer 7

Representatives should not be free to exercise their own judgment instead should base their decisions and voting on wishes of constituents

Question 8

Which house resonates with the delegate model most ?

Answer 8

House of Representatives as they have 2 year terms as allows them to be more responsive to short term view of their districts

Question 9

What is the resemblance model of representation?

Answer 9

Focuses on how representatives a legislative body is of the population in terms of gender, ethnicity, and social and cultural factors

Question 10

Why is the resemblance model impotent for representation ?

Answer 10

Different groups prioritise different issues and no groups excluded from power

Question 11

What is mid-terms ?

Answer 11

Election that takes place inbetween presidental election described as referendum

Question 12

What is incumbency ?

Answer 12

Is when a candidate currently holding a seat runs to retain it

Success is very high and hard to defeat

Question 13

Example of incumbency ?

Answer 13

In 2022 the House of Representatives election, 94% incumbent who ran for reelection were elected

Question 14

What can the success of incumbency mean ?

Answer 14

Congressional election have little impact and that democracy is weak and few that are defeated can change control of the senate/house of representatives from one party to another

Question 15

How is the success of incumbency overstated ?

Answer 15

As the success of incumbency reflects partisan of state

Question 16

What are the advantages of incumbency?

Answer 16

• Office and financial advantage
• safe seats and gerrymandering

Question 17

What is the official and financial advantage of incumbency ?

Answer 17

Incumbency can use their place in office to establish popularity and attract funding from majority donors as incumbent have more greater recognition so attract funding and support

Question 18

Official and financial advantage

What can cause an incumbent have much greater recognition so attract funding and support ?

Answer 18

By probing a track record of supporting constituents and donor intrest

Question 19

Example of official and financial advantage of incumbency

Answer 19

In 2022 senate election , incumbent raised an average of $29M around 14 times amount of challengers who raised average of just over 2M

Question 20

Safe seats and gerrymandering

Why is safe seats in incumbent?

Answer 20

• FPTP Electoral system led to large number of safe seats which is decided before election.

Question 21

Safe seats and gerrymandering

How have some safe seats in districts in house of representatives made worse ?

Answer 21

By gerrymandering

Question 22

Safe seats and gerrymandering - incumbent

How is safe seats in districts of House of Representatives made worse by gerrymandering

Answer 22

When state legislature draw up congressional district boundaries to benifit own party

Question 23

Safe seats and gerrymandering

Examples of district boundaries to benifit own party

Answer 23

REDMAP In 2008 led to republicans targeted democrat state due to re-draw their districts boundaries with huge amount of campaign spending so retook control of state legislation to redraw districts boundaries to their favour

Question 24

What is pork-barrel legislation in incumbency ?

Answer 24

When a representative proposes an amendment to legislation that will benifit a particular group in their constituents to help their re-election chances. - THIS IS KNOWN AS EARMARKS to bills

Question 25

Example of pork barrel legislation of incumbency of representatives lesson to unnecessary spending

Answer 25

• In financial year 2023, it was estimated that $26 billion was spent on earmarks
• senator Richard Shelby (republican Alabama ) alone passed 18 earmarks costing $666M in total as the highest amount of any member of congress