As a simplifying assumption, David Mayhew’s main point is that members of congress are single-minded seekers of reelection. Reelection is the first political reality amongst members of congress, as Mayhew states, followed by having the spotlight shine on the congressmen rather than the party they represent, and the struggle of getting power and maintaining it. In other words, if congressmen want to have a successful career they have to make sure they secure reelection. I agree with Mayhew that reelection is the main concern for congressmen and everything else such as policy making falls behind that. Under this belief Mayhew talks about the three strategies congressmen take: credit claiming, positions taking, and advertising. Credit claiming, Another example discussed in class is Sarah Pailin credited herself for “the bridge to nowhere.” (Class discussion) Her constituents were pleased because she brought something back home even though in reality it was unnecessary but constituents see that as a sign that their congressman is looking out for them and getting things done which, according to Mayhew, secures reelection; this is also a reason why the public loves their representative but hates congress as a For most congressmen the best position to take is that of a conservative one, Mayhew writes, “Probably the best position-taking strategy for most congressmen at most times is to be conservative— to cling to their own positions of the past where possible and to reach for new ones with great caution where necessary.” (Mayhew, 67) If a congressman takes such a liberal position he is bound to lose some of his followers support, although there will always be new voters and new issues the congressman has to take a conservative strategy and slowly move from
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
Paul Wellstone knew that, as Kennedy wrote, “it would be more comfortable...joining whomever of our colleagues are...enslaved by some current fashion” (17). But he understood that true statesmanship is putting the national interest above one’s own benefit. Wellstone, in a time of conformity, showed courage and strength in risking his political life for an ideal he cared deeply about. Perhaps the best description of Wellstone’s character came from a colleague, Sen. Barbara Mikulski: “He didn’t look ahead to the next election; he looked ahead to the next generation” (CITE
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.
Power is the main influence on Congress members. Without power there would not be a need of money, people wanting the best career for reasons other than to be successful, and Republican and Democratic parties who dominate all parties who have other views. Power is great or marked ability to do or act, strength, might, force. A certain member or party who has a lot of force in Congress can persuade other Congress men or women to vote for what they are told. The people who are tricked into schemes tend to be young members or those seeking approval and power themselves. These plans and wishes for control can cause loss of confidence and criticism of government, not only Congress. If members are found guilty of pressuring, paying money, among other things they can be brought to trial. In the end, this costs the country money to hold a trial that will most likely go to supreme court who have enough trials to take care of. Not all Congress members play mind games and vote for what they believe is best for the public good. The hard part is voting for who you believe is the best fit to make those decisions.
He follows the theme of politicians needing to look good in the eyes of the public. The main points within each chapter falls into the aspect of “how does the world view this candidate?”. In the first chapter of the novel Matthews focuses on the connections that need to be made. He uses specific evidence on events regarding former politicians. In each chapter after encouraging the technique given he includes evidence on former politicians who used that tactic. Mainly he focuses on how it worked for their benefit. In the second chapter he promotes the idea of keeping your roots. Matthews main points all stray from keeping the people happy and involved. By keeping your home roots in your game plan it proves to be more beneficial in a campaign. He proposes psychological evidence to back up his claim, like if the politician does not make his proposals relatable to the common person they would reject him because the politician made the common person feel excluded. Matthews follows the ideas that lead to politicians being relatable to the common person. Relatability is the main thing within a campaign that should always be kept in
For example, Jackson is known for his success in dealing with the Nullification Crisis of 1832, but more credit may be being given than deserved. His involvement in the matter was nothing short of good, but when it comes down to it, Jackson actually played no direct role in its passage and therefore it cannot be a part of his legacy. (Feller 2, 4) Not to mention, his sternness and stubbornness that he used to stop the succession are the same qualities that in turn would lead to the trail of tears. Additionally, another thing Jackson is praised for is his birthing of the democracy. However, you can’t do whatever you want, call it the will of the people and then label it democracy. “It 's completely justified to say that Jacksonian democracy reflected this same grasping ambition of the newly expanded white voting classes at the expense of slaves and Indians.” (Dougherty, 2) The democracy we use today differs from whatever Jackson decided to postmark as democracy.
The legislative branch of government is a complex system that is separated into two branches, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both which have different tasks. The favored branch of the public is the House of Representatives because the people feel that they can relate more with their congressmen then their senators. This is another important aspect of the role that congressmen have, representing their constituents. Congressmen are elected to be the voice of their constituency and people rely on them to get their issues heard and resolved. In the book, Lee Hamilton speaks of a gentleman named Wilbur Mills, who is a powerful legislator from Arkansas. As they were walking in D.C he spoke of how he was going to some small town in Arkansas to hold a public meeting with about twenty people. He told Hamilton, "Lee, don't ever forget your constituents. Nothing, nothing comes before them." (p.53) It is very important for congressmen to keep in touch with their constituents, not only are they the people that are keeping them in office but also they are the people that are counting on him/her to voice their thoughts and concerns.
Making in the Pre-Cloture Senate.” American Journal of Political Science 48 (2004): 758-74. JSTOR. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
The Running Mate, Joe Klein’s political novel, contained a fictional candidate named Charlie Martin. In this book, Charlie Martin is democratic candidate for the U. S. Senate. Martin was a Vietnam veteran, who became a politician because of his mother who was Martin’s hometown Mayor. Four years earlier, Mr. Martin ran for President. He was defeated in the primary election by the current fictional President, Democrat Jack Stanton and at the end of novel has aspirations to run for Governor. Charlie Martin has several strengths and weakness as a political candidate. Some of his strengths are that he is a good speaker, as demonstrated in the debates, a Vietnam veteran, and has experience. His major weakness was that his mind was not on the campaign, but on a woman. Also, in this novel, there were the Lords. These characters served were Charlie Martin’s Vietnam buddies. They were his friends and some were his advisors, like Gidian Reese, who was the National Security Advisor. His role as a Senator was like that of any other Senator. He votes on bills, like the bills that were proposed by President Jack Stanton, proposes bills, and accepts illegal money from outside sources. The President, media, interest groups, committees, congressional staff and money all influence on who is appointed to office. All of these people/groups influence by giving money, influencing of a persons’ background, or on who is an important person. Policy for appointing someone to office is that, if you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours. Meaning, that if someone gives you a large amount of money, then the candidate usually returns the favor by appointed him or her to a selected office.
Stephen Medvic, In Defense of Politicians, discusses why Americans feel that politicians are dishonest. In 2007, a Gallup poll about honesty and ethical standards for occupations, showed that only 12 and 9 percent of people felt that Congressmen and State office holders held high standards, (Medvic p. 2). In addition, Americans tend to like their representatives more than the members of Congress because they view them as actual people. Americans view Congress as a group of politicians who are greedy and not representing their interests, (Medvic p. 4).
There have been many perspectives of the Congress, especially whether members of congress should have term limits or not. This issue has been controversial and has been wanted since a very long time, but why? Well to start off the Congress, which is the legislative branch of the federal government, represents the American people and makes the nation's laws. While it only has the only 1/3 the power of the federal government Congress under Article I of the constitution Congress has the power to: make laws, declare war, raise and provide public, impeach and try federal officers, approve presidential appointments, approve treaties negotiated by the executive branch, and oversight investigations. Reasonably the citizens of America would elect members of congress who would do their best to support the needs of America citizens while keeping the country in a stable condition, but Americans trust in Congress has diminished and has brought up the issue of whether Congressmen should have term limits.
As seen quite often in the Obama administration, legislation gets stuck and lost in Congress due to the polarization of the parties in recent years. In Obama’s case, he has frequently threatened to go around the House and Senate if they could not reach an agreement or would shoot down his plans. Cato’s Pilon points out, however, that the hurdles of Congress are no mistake. Pilot states that the framer’s of the Constitution knew what they were doing, and this was intended to keep the checks and balances as well as accountability to the public (Lyons,
Weissert, C., & Halperin, K. (2007). The paradox of term limit support: to know them is not to love them. Political Research Quarterly, 60.3, 516-517.
An example would be a politician who managed to get a major bridge built in their district let the bridge be named after themselves. It would be also a congressmen’s desire to be seen as the cause of benefitting constituents mutually helpful. For candidates who are trying to win an election, the “image” or impression they give has been very important in politics. And through credit claiming, the image of the candidate would definitely give an impact to the people to vote for them. First impressions are extremely important as it is the factor of success or rejection. It shows the personality and how it can come across to voters. Politicians are aware of how the public views them and take years to build trust, make connections, and establish a vision for a community. However, one negative comment or distrustful action can destroy the foundation. There has to be an image of confidence, in order for citizens to trust politicians. As body language plays a significant role in public communications, it delivers a level of comfort leading the public and the standings of their ideas. Politicians must also keep calm in high- pressure situations, such as debates. Strong images must be kept whenever the public’s attention is on them, as every word and movement matters. Since public politicians are constantly in the public eye, image has been important as to how they appear
...ing it to committees, marking it up, floor debating it, or having it signed by the president. They all play a part in the process. Congressman definitely have their work cut out for them when they try to introduce ideas into the house or senate. With only about 10% of bills even getting any attention it is a very difficult and probably frustrating job. But that is why our country is so great because of our congressman and the decisions that they must make day in and day out about legislation.