Public Policy Commons^™

Practicing Representation : The Impact Of Electoral Competition On The Home Styles Of U.S. Representatives, Michael A. Armato

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A great deal of political science literature has illustrated that U.S. Representatives respond to different electoral competition scenarios through modifying voting behaviors, floor statements, and bill sponsorship activities. However, scholarship has yet to significantly assess if and how political competition impacts the ways members of Congress present themselves to their voters and explain policy positions to their constituents. This dissertation longitudinally explores if and compares how members of Congress in different and changing electoral circumstances alter their home style behaviors, or not, due to the presence or lack of robust political competition.