The Public Side of Representation, livre ebook

Examines how ordinary citizens view the representative process in Congress.

Examines how ordinary citizens view the representative process in Congress.

Representation lies at the very heart of our political system, yet few attempts have been made to examine citizens' views about the representative process. The Public Side of Representation fills that void. Through a series of in-depth interviews, Christopher J. Grill explores people's abstract beliefs about representation, expectations for members of Congress, views on the representative-constituent relationship, and conceptions of Congress as an institution. The resulting analysis describes what the participants view as the essential building blocks of the representative process, depicts how they think representatives should make voting decisions, explains what they believe are the most important roles for members of Congress, and appraises their understanding of the actual representative process. Highly readable and accessible, The Public Side of Representation provides greater insight into American politics, citizens' expectations about government, and the roots of public discontent with the contemporary political process.

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction and Overview

A Crisis of Representation?
The Missing Public
A Different Approach

2. Research Methodology

Introduction
Approaching the Subject
The Research Process:Instrument and Interviews
The Research Process:Coding and Analysis
Profile of Respondents
The Idea of Political Sophistication
Conclusion

3. The Idea of Representation

Introduction
The Nature of Responsiveness:Preface
Attentiveness
Openness and Accessibility
Involvement:Visibility and Direct Contact
Communication:The Heart of Representation
Concluding Remarks

4. Representation in Practice

Introduction
Communication:Opportunities and Pitfalls
Making Voting Decisions:The Hypotheticals
Resolving Decision-Making Dilemmas
Vital Representational Functions:Explanation and Education
Assessment:Fenno, With Some Twists

5. The Representative Relationship

Introduction
Representatives Defined
Members’ Job Obligations
Role Expectations:The Rank Scales
Assessment
Representatives as Political Models?
"A Tough Job":Being a Representative
Members’ Burdens:The Inherent Conflicts of Representation
The Balancing Act of Representation
Concluding Remarks

6. Institutional Representation
Introduction
Conceptions of Congress
Institutional Roles:The Rank Scales
Assessment
View of the Congressional Democratic Process
The State of the Representative Process
Improving the Representative Process
Conclusion:Conceptualizing Congress

7. The Public Side of Representation

Revisiting the Idea of Representation:Insights and Implications
Institutional Representation
Surprising Sensitivity—and Blind Spots
Public Beliefs and the Representative Process
Some Final Thoughts

APPENDIX A Research Instruments
APPENDIX B Interview Excerpts
APPENDIX C Coding Tables

Notes
Bibliography
Index