The Importance Of A Good Representative

1021 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The nature of political economy

Every individual has a different opinion about what a good representative is. I believe that a good representative is an official who governs and advocates for the advancement of all people, and respects the opinions of his or her opposing party. A good representative doesn’t look at their job as just a salary. “During the early Congresses, being a senator or representative was a part-time occupation” (Davidson, Oleszek, Lee, & Schickler, 2015, 35). Today, a good representative spends more time working with other elected officials to rectify the issues that all people are hindered by. Although, many people do not believe that members of congress are in session for a sufficient amount of time to figure out solutions to the issues that affect …show more content…

Instead, a quality representative still does research and looks over his or her speeches. Also, a superb representative doesn’t always use their assistants as a way to get through to them. For instance, if a veteran who resides in the same county as the representative wants to meet with the representative regarding issues related to veteran affairs, the veteran should not have to keep calling a representatives assistant to set up a meeting. Eventually, that representative should be willing to communicate with the veteran. I am not suggesting that representative should have an open door policy. Instead, I believe that a good representative should somehow be readily available for the individuals who put their lives on the line for liberty. “One says that if a politician delivers public works, economic growth, or other public goods, citizens will accept some losses from public offers” (Winters & Weitz, 2013). This evidence above suggests that if a politician is bad, but they produce good outcomes, then the people will accept them. I don’t believe that this should be the case. A good representative should be of high character and produce good outcome. Voters should not have to choose between a representative who lacks good morals, but makes the government run more

Show More
Related

  • Congress The Electoral Connection David Mayhew Summary

    567 Words  | 2 Pages

    Building good will with the people must be accomplished by making the members work with the voters. Congressmen will claim credit for good deeds done in certain districts so that the electors will honor the incumbent’s achievements by reelecting them for office. Mayhew states that the claims must be credible in order for the voters to believe them. Incumbents also take part in casework, such as bringing a “supplier of goods to the home district,” that way more trust is instilled within the congress members. Claims made can be perceived as either trustworthy or not, ultimately it beyond the voters discretion to decide

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Mayhew: What Motivates Members Of Congress

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is not uncommon to find members of Congress who have genuine goals of spearheading, designing or even just supporting good public policy. It would be harsh to say that every member of Congress is against good policy. However what is difficult for members of Congress is deciding what is more important, the wishes of their constituents or national policy. Although it is rare, members of Congress vote against the popular opinion of his or her district in order to make what would be considered good policy in the national interest. This hinders their chance of re-election but is necessary for America. In very rare cases members of Congress have gone against the wishes of their constituents for moral reasons like in the aftermath of 9/11. When voting on the 2002 Iraq War Resolution, I am certain that the last thing of the minds of members of Congress was re-election. A very conservative House of Representatives member Jimmy Duncan said ‘‘when I pushed that button to vote against the war back in 2002, I thought I might be ending my political career.” In times of crisis members of Congress have decide between what is right, not what their constituents believe is right. Another goal other than re-election that members of Congress have is their own future. For many, being a members of The House of Representatives is a mere stepping stone in their career on the way to better things. Therefore for some members of Congress, re-election does not worry them and gives them the freedom to act in an environment striped of the constant pressure of re-election. However, considering that most of the members of The House Of Representatives goals lie within the Senate or high executive positions, re-election is still on their mind, all be it in the form of a different

    Read More

  • Richard Fenno's Home Style

    330 Words  | 1 Pages

    Members of congress have three specific goals. The one that seems to be the most important

    Read More

  • Congressional Committees: The Workhorse of Legislature

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most individuals with a general background knowledge of the United States Federal Government system are aware that in order for a bill to become a law, it must first pass a majority vote in Congress. There is, however, a very important step in the legislative process that sometimes goes unnoticed. The committee system of the legislation process ensures that the appropriate attention is given to each bill introduced to Congress. Each member of both chambers are assigned to committees and subcommittees, and are expected to become subject matter experts in their respective roles as committee members.

    Read More

  • Relationship between the American People and Congress

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the past century, people continued to express an increasingly discontent view of Congress especially true when one looks back before the Clinton Impeachment debacle As the size of the nation and the number of congressman have grown, the congress has come under attack by both public influences and congressman themselves. Yet looking at one congressman's relationship with his or her constituents, it would be hard to believe that this is the branch of government that has come under suspect. In “If Ralph Nader says congress is 'The broken branch,' how come we love our congressman so much?” author Richard F. Fenno, Jr., provides insight into this view and why, through congress coming under fire, constituents still feel positively about there congressmen. Although congress is often criticized, its fine tuned functioning is essential in checking the power of congress without hindering the making of legislation.

    Read More

  • Three Theories Of Representation In Congress

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    The politico model of representation is the most appropriate representation for congressional members to follow. Because the public

    Read More

  • Example Of Allocative Representation Essay

    1718 Words  | 4 Pages

    Representation: the effort of elected officials to look out for the interests of those who elect them

    Read More

  • Major Influences on Congress Members

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...o keep their jobs, Congress members must please the majority of a state and in the nation. Citizens are the people who help campaign and vote to re-elect you or have someone take your job. Members when voting must remember that and consider voting in favor of what the majority in their state wants even if he or she disagrees. If they do not listen to state residents who are the voters, this can lead to someone sitting down in their former seat.

    Read More

  • Members of Congress Should Have Term Limits

    1810 Words  | 4 Pages

    Initially, the Founders intended to have a limit on the amount of time any one person could serve. In the Articles of Confederation, a rotation in office system was described, so that no one person could remain in a position for decades on end. However, this was abandoned in the Constitution because it was deemed unnecessary. At the time of the nation’s founding, the occupation of “politician” did not exist. One could hold an office for a number of years, but it was not considered a career path. Originally, politicians were seen as making great sacrifices, because they stepped away from their family and primary jobs for a number of years to serve their country, before returning to their normal lives (Vance, 1994, p. 429). In the words of Founding Father Roger Sherman, “The representatives ought to return home and mix with the people. By remaining at the seat of the government, they will acquire the habits of the place, which might differ from those...

    Read More

  • Congressional Term Limits

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, Congressional representatives should be limited to serving two terms. Limiting the terms of career politicians will promote fresh ideas and reduce the possibility of decisions being made for self-interest. It is in our Country’s best interest that our legislator’s decisions are equitable and that compromises are not made to ensure their own or their parties stay in office.

    Read More

  • How Congress Works And Why We Should Care

    1891 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many Americans in today's society will find it difficult to answer the question of what Congress exactly does and why it exists. Others simply don't care and see Congress as a failed system where nothing gets done. Lee Hamilton, in his book Why Congress Works and Why you Should Care, proves these people wrong and gives an insider's look at what Congress actually does do and how it affects every American each day.

    Read More

  • The Detrimental Practice of Gerrymandering

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    In American politics today, many practices exist that greatly harm the American public. One of these dangerous practices, known as gerrymandering, occurs in nearly every state. While some claim that the practice helps America, in reality gerrymandering harms American democracy and safety. Gerrymandering greatly affects society, and must become illegal to insure fair representation, the democratic processes in America continues, and America continues to thrive.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Chief Legislator In The United States

    1314 Words  | 3 Pages

    Passing legislation through Congress is a challenge by itself, but for a president acting as chief legislator it can prove to be even harder such as attempting to pass legislation and Congress. For instance, the president of the United States has several significant occupations to conduct while in office, which include the formal roles of Chief of State, Chief Executive, Commander in Chief, Chief Diplomat, and Chief legislator. In modern society, having an understanding of what goes on between the United States Congress and the current president, Barack Obama, acting as chief legislator is crucial to American citizens because although it may not change one’s views of politics, it will aid in having a better understanding of what is going on

    Read More

  • Congressional Intern Reflection

    298 Words  | 1 Pages

    This past summer, when I lived and worked in Washington, DC—first as a U.S. Senate Page and then as a Congressional Intern—I gained invaluable experience and insight to the American political system. It is amazing how much one can learn from simply overhearing the conversations of Members of Congress on a daily basis. Working on the floor of the Senate and then in the back rooms of a Congressional office were two entirely different experiences, each teaching me in a distinctive way about how our political system functions. While I most definitely became aware of how bureaucratic and slow our democratic system can be, I also discovered that with a commitment to unity and prosperity for the common good, great feats are attainable through government.

    Read More

  • Single-Member Districts

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    Giving each voter a specific representative is extremely important. Doing so helps to encourage constituency service by providing voters with an easily identifiable “ombudsman.” Voters feel like they are well represented and can go to their congressman (or whoever their representative may be) with questions and requests, and their representative will understand them because he or she is “one of them.” Having a specific representative also helps people to avoid the worry that they don’t have any say in who governs them. Likewise, more individuals will tend to vote because people are voting for an actual person rather than a group or a party.

    Read More

More about The Importance Of A Good Representative

Open Document