Beyond Policy Representation in the U.S. House

Abstract

Although a great deal of work shows that House members generally effectively represent the policy preferences of the majority of voters in their district, we know less about a more general level of representation enjoyed by those who do not support the incumbent. This problem is conceptualized by examining whether citizens, especially those in the opposing constituency, view casework as a partisan enterprise. Using data from the American National Election Study (ANES) cumulative file, this alternate way to consider representation illustrates that members of the opposing constituency are less satisfied with casework and less likely to think their representative would be helpful if contacted. Additionally, negative attitudes about casework generally increase in size for all citizens as the parties become increasingly polarized at the elite level and as one's individual representative becomes more extreme. Implications regarding the importance of political parties in the representation process are discussed.