How well does your Congressman represent you? [Congress: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)]

 In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), governor Hubert Hopper must select a replacement for a U.S. Senator. Inspired from his children during a dinner conversation, Hopper selects Jefferson Smith, an icon for the Boy Rangers. With no political experience, innocent Smith is frequently teased by the other members. He proposes a bill for a national boys park. The land for the park is already part of a corrupt bill supported by Senator Paine. In attempt to destroy Smith's bill, Paine claims that Smith already owns the land and suggests he is scheming the US for money. The film attacks the corruption in politics and lack of genuine character in Congress for the only "good guy," in the film is a regular man who has no idea what he is doing.

Instead of just being themselves, like Mr.Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), politicians strive to portray different types of representation and convince voters that they are good candidates. In "U.S. House Members in Their Constituencies: An Exploration (1977)," Richard Fenno pretends to look through the eyes of a House member. He determines a representative’s reputation to his home district as his/her “home style,” which is how the member convinces the average constituent: “I am good person; you can trust me; I am just like you.” The home style is composed of the member’s presentation of self, distribution of resources and tales of Washington activities.

How do Congressman convince people of their homestyle? Congressman utilize a series of techniques and perspectives to gain votes. There are different types of representation. In "Rethinking Representation (2003)", Jane Mansbridge discusses several types of representation:
1. Promissory representation: the traditional view; when during campaigns, representatives make promises to constituents which they either keep or fail to keep
2. Anticipatory representation: when representatives focus on what they predict constituents will approve at the next election; utilizes retrospective voting, which is when people vote based on what the official has accomplished in the past
3. Gyroscopic representation: when a representative uses his/her own interests, common sense and principles as grounds for action; voters are attracted by this representative’s good character and honesty.
4. Surrogate representation is when legislators represent people outside of their own districts.

Next time your analyzing your representative, analyze what methods he/she might be using. Then again, does it matter how your Congressman is representing you, as long as you are actually be accurately represented?

How well does your Congressman represent you? Does it even matter? In "Collective vs. Dyadic Representation in Congress (1978)," political scientist Robert Weissburg suggests that perhaps it doesn't matter because even if your Congressman does not represent you, one in another district will. In the article, Weissburg compares and contrasts the relationships Congress members have with their constituents (the people they represent from their district) in dyadic representation and collective representation.For those of you who do not know: dyadic representation, the common and first way of analyzing such circumstances, is examining one legislator’s relationship to one individual constituent. Generally, researchers ask how well is the individual represented. Weissburg takes a different approach and examines collective representation, meaning how Congress represents the people as whole. Through a simulation of a legislature with twenty members and constituencies, Weissburg explains that with “perfect randomness,” even with the worst possible representation, the majority will still be represented half the time. Weissburg includes that when the majority is violated, the vote will still be close.You are probably wondering is accurate representation only half the time good enough? I would say no but apparently dyadic representation leaves us with a worse conclusion!  Weissburg claims that collective representation is at least equal to, but seemingly more accurate, than dyadic representation. 
Even if you are better represented collectively than dyadically, at least you are still represented. By voting and participating in local politics, you can strive for representation from your Senator or Assembly member on state and federal levels.