Legislators face tremendous pressure on a day-to-day basis from a variety of outlets. For example, the style of representation a legislator utilizes influences the decisions they make on the congressional floor and potentially impacts constituent support. Representation is one of the main responsibilities of Congress. Members of Congress not only represent the nation as a whole by passing legislation or amending policies, but must stand for their states or individual districts. Specifically, a delicate balance of representation exists, such that representation takes several forms: by individual legislators, by Congress as a whole, and by party or groups, and this conglomeration of representation influences the modern legislative process.
Generally, there are three different roles of representation that a legislator can assume individually: delegate, trustee, or politico. Thomas Dye and Susan MacManus, authors of the text Politics in States and Communities (2003), described the roles of representation as “the legislator’s orientations toward the expectations of constituents” (206). Dye and MacManus (2003) described trustee legislators as “those who are guided in legislative affairs solely by their personal conscience” (206). The authors (2003) also noted that “the more politically experienced legislator is more likely to assume the role of a trustee” (206). Furthermore, Steven M. Smith, author of the 2006 text The American Congress, commented, “ a member of Congress might be considered a trustee- representing his or her constituents by exercising independent judgment about the interests of district, state, or nation” (electronic book location: 385/5782). Thus a legislator who practices a model of trustee representation is more likely to use personal experience and knowledge acquired from his or her service within the institution to guide decisions on policies. On the other hand, a legislator who is classified as a delegate utilizes constituent beliefs on issues as the cornerstone for decision-making. Dye and MacManus (2003) wrote that delegates are “those who are guided by instructions or wishes of their constituents” (206). Furthermore, Smith (2006) characterized a delegate’s job as “to faithfully present the views of his or her district of Congress” (electronic book location 385/5782). Thus, a delegate’s vote on policies is a direct reflection of the constituents’ beliefs and thoughts, which can sometimes vary from that of the representative. If this happens, a representative who follows a model of delegate representation would choose to act for the needs of his or her constituent. The following clip is an example of a member of the House of Representatives' delegate representation style. Representative Anh "Joseph" Cao served as the representative for the 2nd Congressional District in Louisiana from 2009-2011. He was known for not voting along party lines on several occasions and he justified his voting choice as serving his constituents.
The third style, politico, represents a hybrid of the trustee and delegate models of representation. Smith (2006) wrote, “A third possibility, one that is probably closer to everyday practice for most members, is to see the representative as a politico- one who behaves as a delegate on issues that are important to his or her constituents but on other issues has leeway in setting a personal policy agenda and casting votes” (electronic book location 385/5782). Therefore, a politico legislator is likely to employ a delegate-like decision-making strategy for issues that are salient to his or her constituents, but has more independence in policy voting for those that are not as central or visible to constituents. These individual styles of representation reflect different decision-making strategies that legislators use as they tackle policy issues and decide how to vote on legislation; constituent beliefs and personal values play different roles.
There are several ways in which the type of representation of a member can be identified. National media outlets, such as C-SPAN, give the public an idea of members function within the realms of Congress. Recordings of House and Senate Proceedings, committee hearings, and other events provide insight of the issues a legislator strongly supports, the bills that are sponsored, and the relationships he or she has with other members of Congress. On the other hand, local and state media provides a snapshot of how a member of Congress acts within his or district. Commonly, these faces of Congress, the national and local, can differ depending on the member’s personal goals, such as re-election, or how the member perceives the concept of representation. Other avenues of examining styles of representation include observing the type of actions a member of Congress spends his or her time completing. Service to constituents, time spent on various projects, and the amount of time spent within a district or at Capitol Hill are some indicators of how a legislator chooses to represent. Furthermore, the communications by and images of a representative can provide insight of representation styles; these are known as a legislator’s symbolic actions. Examples of symbolic action can include tributes made, letters written, participation in parades, or bills supported. In combination, the actions of legislators provide evidence for the style of representation that is utilized to make political decisions.
Legislative representation is not only defined as the style an individual legislator applies to the political decision-making process, but encompasses the approach used by the Congress as a whole to represent the nation. Smith (2006) applied the political representation styles at the individual level to Congress as a whole as a way to describe what national representation would look like if it strictly adhered to the characteristics of a delegate representative or a trustee representative. Smith (2006) wrote, “ As a delegate institution, Congress would be expected to enact policies reflecting nationwide public opinion which is as conflicted, ambiguous, or undeveloped as public opinion within individual districts and states” (electronic book location 391/5782). Using this style of representation, Congress would use public opinion over personal opinions to guide decisions on legislation. Strictly adhering to public opinion as the sole force for political decision-making could cause challenges in actually passing legislation as public opinion on most major issues is diverse and rarely unified. The alternative form of representation that Congress as a whole can take is trustee representation. Smith (2006) described, “As a trustee institution, Congress would be expected to formulate policy in a manner consistent with its members’ collective judgment about the nation’s interests, whatever the state of public opinion” (electronic book location 391/5782). A Congress employing a style of complete trustee representation would use personal opinions and experience within the institution to guide its policy decisions and would not look to public opinion on matters when making decisions. This style of representation would be problematic as it would impact the re-election of individual members and would mirror a system of government that the founding fathers struggled against. Therefore, it is likely that the type of representation Congress as a whole utilizes is a mixture of both styles. Smith (2006) wrote, “The institution does not consciously assume the role of a collective delegate or trustee for the nation” (electronic book location 397/5782). Furthermore, Smith (2006) explained, “collective representation can be good even when dyadic representation is not” (electronic book location 397/5782). This means that Congress as a whole can represent that nation well even if its individual members voting or policy behaviors do not always correspond with their districts' opinions. Alternatively, this means that similarity between public opinion and policies at the state level may be deficient, but could be solid at the national level. Therefore, there is evidence that employing a variety of representations styles at both the individual (district/state) level and at the collective level is beneficial to ensuring Congress supports political processes that are most advantageous for the growth of the nation.
Political party representation and other group representations play an influential role on the type of policies and procedures that are passed within Congress. Smith (2006) wrote, “Nearly all members of Congress are recognized as either Democrats or Republicans and often are identified with other groups based on their gender, race, occupation, age, and other characteristics…we speak of a ‘Republican Congress’ or a ‘Democratic Congress,’ reflecting the importance of party control of the institution” (electronic book location 412/5782). Party identification is important within Congress because it serves as a vehicle for furthering or blocking the passing of legislation. Furthermore, the majority party sets the tone for progress and selects the political issues that will be discussed on the floor. Because this identification is so strong, individual legislators look to support parties for personal gains. Smith (2006) described, “legislators tend to join with others of their own party to enact or block legislation, to develop and maintain a good reputation with the public, and to seek or retain majority control” (electronic book location 412/5782). The following video clip is an example of party representation at it relates to voting. On January 28, 2009 the House of Representatives voted on whether or not to pass the $819 billion stimulus bill. The video clip shows that voting on the bill followed party lines; not a single Republican voted in favor of the bill. Despite the lack of Republican support, the bill was able to pass because of the support from the majority, Democratic Party.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/HouseSession3661/start/29410/stop/29487
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/HouseSession3661/start/29410/stop/29487
In addition, other group representation, such as gender or occupation, play important roles in determining specialization within Congress, gaining support of local constituents, and impacting the legislation and policy initiatives that are considered. For example, the formation of various caucuses has diversified the characteristics and qualifications of legislators and has ensured that policy agendas represent a wider array of national public opinions. Smith (2006) wrote, “Organized caucuses of women, blacks, Hispanics, and other groups formed among members of Congress, and groups outside Congress have developed to aid the election of more members from one group or another. It is said that increasing the number of women and minorities in Congress is essential because legislators’ personal experiences shape their policy agendas” (electronic book location 419/5782). For example, the following video clip demonstrates one of the policy agendas supported by The Congressional Black Caucus. In this clip, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee briefly speaks of the The Congressional Black Caucus' support on the fight against poverty, hunger, and the right for all Americans to have health care. This brief clip is an example of how a group of legislators have united to support policy agendas that enhance the social welfare of constituents. It is likely that members of this caucus have also witnessed these social problems first hand within their districts, and this experience has shaped their political initiatives while in office.
Thus, increase in women and minority representatives have helped to shape the direction of public policy as their group memberships have provided alternative forms of representation. It is evident that party representation and group representation influence the direction of policy agendas.
In conclusion, there are several styles of representation that should be examined when considering impacts to policy agendas. Individual representation, collective representation, and representation by political party or group membership provide several outlets for making political decisions. It is important to examine these types of representation to determine how individual districts, states, and the nation as a whole are being represented by those elected members who swore an oath to better the nation.
Works Cited
Cao on CNN with host Don Lemmon. (Uploaded on Nov. 9, 2009). Retrieved from:
C-SPAN Video Library. (2009, January 28th). House Session. Retrieved from: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/HouseSession3661
C-Span Video Library. ( 2011, November 14th). House Session, Part 3. Retrieved from:
Dye, Thomas A., & Susan A. MacManus. (2003). Politics in States and Communities: Eleventh
Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Smith, Steven. (2006). The American Congress: Fourth Edition. New York, New York:
Cambridge University Press.
