I The Dual Nature of Congress 1 The Sherman example shows how the dual Congress is linked Sherman has his constituents of San Fernando Valley and his Washington policy making constituents a Because of this entanglement Sherman did not receive the minority leadership of the Foreign Affairs Committee a job he was expected to receive because of his election in the new district against the former Representative Berman b Showing the importance between the law making body and local representation 2 There are two forms of Congress a The law making institution acting in a way that affects the nation b The representative assembly carrying out the necessary functions to maintain political support from their constituents at home as a whole A Legislators Tasks 1 Reelection is the ultimate goal of most members of Congress 2 Legislators use different strategies to balance the two roles 3 Many legislators find themselves constantly running for reelection throughout their time in office B Popular Images 1 The way the public views Congress is different than how the public views legislators individually a Congress is a law making body judged on citizens attitudes towards politics and the process b Citizens view legislators individually by yardsticks how they do for the district their communication with the district and the qualities and values of the person 2 Election to office and reelection generally occur because of personal qualities positions of the candidate and service to the constituents they represent C The Constitutional Basis 1 Congress find their ability to write laws in Article 1 of the Constitution a The representation function of Congress is not specifically laid out b in the Constitution It was assumed by the authors that legislature would be the primary law making body 2 The House of Representatives was intended to representative branch a House members being elected directly by the public for two years ensuring their compliance with public opinion b The two year term means constant campaigning in hopes of gaining reelection changed in 1913 3 In the original Constitution Senators were selected by legislators but 4 The Seventeenth Amendment adopted in 1913 allowed for six year terms of Senators elected by popular vote D Back to Burke 1 Believed that representation should be based on the nation as whole 2 Burke listened to his constituents but his own judgments were the not just for local interests deciding factor in all cases 3 In contrast Americans want the law makers they elect to listen to their opinions and vote closely to those opinions 4 The reason many people run for office is because they believe a specific way in which the government should do and how those tasks should be carried out II The Two Congresses in Comparative Context 1 American has a different system of how legislators are elected than most 2 Most democracies elect in the form of proportional representation a This lies legislators to their political party more than their local of the world constituents b The proportional representation system rests on the concept that the number of seats a political party wins should be proportional to the level of support the party received In contrast American legislators represent the constituents of their geological area a This has made some legislators use a lowest common denominator 3 approach to representing b By de emphasizing their party affiliation and focus on local issues and avoid controversial issues where constituents could be divided 4 Since the 1950s and 1960s law makers have began vote more constantly 5 Many votes follow the same strategy and rarely vote split ticket during within party lines elections III Divergent Views of Congress 1 Congress is often subject to intense scrutiny 2 Congress is relatively open and accessible which allows for intrusions from the outside world and opens them up for scrutiny 3 Writers reporters and comedians have found Congress to be an infinite source of material 4 Americans are most interested in the legislative branch when scandals or legislative fights are in the ranks 5 Legislators often exacerbate the often negative prospections that citizens have by acting as though they have escaped from the funny farm when they are home with constituents 6 Congress is often portrayed as irresponsible and a disreputable gang When the book was referring to the way in which the American people view Congress compared to how they view individual legislators I found that to be very hypocritical Even though I know that this is the way Americans view these concepts they are conflicting views Constituents want their representatives to vote in a way that expresses their wants and needs but get mad at or criticize the process of law making However if you use the theory that representatives should vote in a way that reflects the views of their districts then people should not be criticizing the process I believe the biggest issue between the two is that anytime a vote doesn t go a specific way the people on the losing side are upset because they feel as though their views are the best option It is impossible for Congress to do their job and represent their constituents if people continue to believe that just because a vote didn t turn out in their favor that their representative or legislative body is not capable of following through with their job Most of the time Americans want to have their pie and eat it too We are a society that as individuals are used to getting our way so when we don t it becomes very personal very fast