Congressional Voting In America

“ Congress: The Electoral Connection”, the article is written by David R. Mayhew. Mayhew represents his view about Congressmen activities. These politicians discuss certain issues going on within the country and to emphasize people to focus on their listed issues and get attention of public in order to take position in House.

The first influence is representational view. Author James Wilson says “Representational view is the reasonable assumption that members want to get reelected, and therefore vote to please their constituents” (Wilson, pg.340). Representational view sounds a lot like trying to impress someone to get on their good graces or trying to please someone. When a congressman votes like this, it really gets in the way of what is important. Do they really care what is going on? It does not sound like it, according to James Wilson. When a congressman vote like this, Wilson mentions the example of gun control and that sometimes they get conflicting views and that whichever way they vote, it may cost them dearly in the next election. What is even more frustrating is that “occasionally, members of Congress in this situation will try to be out of town when the matter comes up for a vote” (Wilson, pg. 341). What is the point of being in Congress if you are not going to be around for the major decisions? Just along for the free ride I am assuming. All in all,

However this does not necessarily mean that the representatives are carrying out this function. Professor Martin Gilens of Princeton University looked at more than 20 years’ worth of data to answer a simple question, does the government represent the people? The study took data from nearly 2000 public opinion surveys and compared it to the policies that ended up becoming law. In other words it compared what the public wanted to what the government actually did. What they found was that the opinions of 90% of Americans have essentially no impact at all. With only two independents elected in the Senate and none in the House, it is apparent that the Congress is not

Democracy is conceptualized as a “will of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Intrinsically, all variants of democratic representation must take into consideration the will of the majority of the electorate. In the democratic approach, the representative carries the will of their district to Congress and ensures it is sufficiently expressed. Further, a delegate representative is better placed to be in constant communication with the grassroots and understand their district issues which would also help with the articulation of such matters in the House. Implicitly, delegate representatives also have better chances of re-election as they will often refrain from being in contravention of their district’s

test From a newspaper editorial: [The recent use of mail ballots in Oregon’s election of a U.S. senator has led some people to hail this as the wave of the future in our democratic republic].

Constituent opinion, interest groups and political parties all influence the voting decisions of members of Congress in various ways. However, it is ultimately up to each member to decide how to cast his/her vote on any piece of legislation. Explore each of the influences mentioned above and discuss how each could be a potential positive and negative influence on members decisions. Finally, consider these influences in light of the delegate and trustee models of representation introduced by the Framers' fears of democracy and faction. Is there a best path for members to follow in deciding how to

Although elections are suppose to provide citizens with a way to shape policymaking by changing who the policymakers are citizens can change what policies are made, the citizens still have little impact. Elections do not serve as a vehicle for citizens to change policy. The way that congress is set up makes it extremely difficult to create change in congress. Typically miniorties groups are in groups that need to most help and have the most problems, and it’s difficult for their problems to get solved if they don’t have members of congress of their ethnic group that can relate to their problems and understand what they’re going through more than a member of congress that has a different rationality. As my The Struggle

The Preamble of the United States Constitution states that, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

When voting in America first took only White man adults who own property and has lived in the country for a year or more. Than, later states began to allow all white man adults to vote but only White Males. Over time however, slowly, one by one states began to let woman vote but even then only certain women. Though, it wasn’t long till all woman got the right to vote! It was an even longer rougher road for those of other races for the votes to be

If I were elected to the United States Congress the factors that would influence my decision on whether to vote for or against a bill would be: re-election, political party affiliations and, interest groups. My main concern as every other congressmen would be to be re-elected. If I really want to continue to be a Congressmen then I would keep in mind when the next elections would be and see how I can find my way to keep a seat in Congress.

Voting in America has and always will be a means of power and control. In the beginning of early America, the right to vote was not an automatic right that was bestowed upon you because you were a American. The growing pains that plagued the nation during the fledgling stages of democracy. Where many the major one was that there was no central government. Made it a mockery in one sidedness. The white male was the Alpha and the Omega, when it came down to voting and the shaping of America as we know it today. In the beginning, it really was a man’s world, or should I say white man’s world.

The United States is often seen as a hallmark of democracy, due to the nature of peaceful presidential transitions along with the abundance of civil rights and liberties as outlined in the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. However, on an average, only 60% of eligible voters participate in the presidential elections that take place every four years, and 40% turn out for the congressional midterm elections that occur every two years (Fair Vote). John Winthrop, a New England colonist during the early 17th century, told his fellow Puritans, “We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us” (Ushistory.org), but has this really lived out its meaning if American elections do not include the voices of everyone?

My takeaway from these clear differences in legislators shows a clear problem with partisan voting. I have trouble believing that Klingenschmitt was elected because of what he stands for – regardless of how conservative the Colorado Springs area is, I just can’t imagine most of them think people are gay due to demons. There is a clear trend here showing how people vote with their party regardless of what the person says, and that problem is to blame for such a far out there individual to be put in an extremely important public office. If the people of the Springs believe what he says, fine, but I just can’t imagine this being the case.

(a) The political cartoon depicts Ralph Nader, a third-party candidate who ran in the 2000 election, addressing America’s “throw-away mentality.” Meanwhile, a woman in the background is ironically casting her vote into a trash can labeled “Green Party Votes.” Since the Unites States has a two-party system, the vast majority of our country votes for major party candidates. Therefore, the point of view being expressed about minor parties is that voting for a third party is throwing away a vote. For example, when Ralph Nader ran in the 2000 election, he had nowhere near the number of votes needed to even compete with the major party candidates. So, he ultimately took votes away from the major party candidates, which could have possibly changed the outcome of that presidential election.

As for each public office election, we are reminded that elections are both highly charged symbolic rituals of democracy and key procedural parts of our political institutions. Both components of elections, symbolic and procedural, serve vital functions at all levels of our political system.