The Two Congresses
A representative who votes exactly as constituents wish — even when personally disagreeing — holds this role, as opposed to a trustee.
Delegate
The word "parliament" derives from this French verb.
Parler
Time and money; privacy; a winnable contest; willingness to be harsh; and a policy message — these are the five factors candidates weigh when making this decision.
Whether to run for office
Members of Congress are required to pay these to party campaign committees, with amounts varying based on seniority, leadership position, and committee assignments.
Dues
Richard Fenno defined this concept as "the distinctive ways legislators present themselves and their records to constituents" back in their districts.
Home style
This Constitutional amendment shifted the election of U.S. Senators away from state legislatures and toward direct popular vote.
17th Amendment
This 1803 Supreme Court case established the power of judicial review in the United States.
Marbury v. Madison
You must be at least this old to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
25 years old
Nyhan & Montgomery (2015) found that campaign consultants do this — effectively constraining strategic creativity across campaigns rather than generating novel approaches.
Linking candidates into networks that diffuse strategy
Koetzle (1998) found that this characteristic of a congressional district — measured using race, urbanization, income, and education data — increases electoral competition.
Diversity
This Founder wrote that the House should have "an immediate dependence on, and intimate sympathy with the people."
James Madison
In this year, Virginia colonists elected 22 delegates to the first representative assembly in North America.
1619
When quality potential challengers choose to wait for an open seat rather than run against a strong incumbent, this is the name for the phenomenon.
Scare-off effect
Grier & Munger (1991) found that interest groups direct larger contributions specifically to legislators who hold these.
Committee assignments with jurisdiction over relevant policy
Bills introduced primarily as messaging tools — rather than serious legislative efforts — are called this, and research suggests they are electorally profitable.
Symbolic legislation
In 1974, this political scientist characterized members of Congress as "single-minded seekers of reelection," arguing that the drive for electoral survival explains nearly all congressional behavior.
David Mayhew
Historian Elaine K. Swift coined this term for "rapid, marked, and enduring shifts in the fundamental dimensions" of a legislative institution.
Reconstitutive change
According to Bernhard et al. (2020), this responsibility — not lack of interest or ambition — was the primary barrier preventing women from running for office.
Motherhood (and/or breadwinning responsibilities)
Following McCutcheon v. FEC, these fundraising vehicles saw both their numbers and total dollars raised dramatically increase.
Joint Fundraising Committees (JFCs)
According to Bussing et al. (2020), Republicans who voted for ACA repeal experienced this split outcome in their electoral careers.
Avoided primary challenges but lost vote share in the general election
This paradox, observed by Richard Fenno, describes how Americans can dislike Congress as an institution while approving of their own member.
Fenno's Paradox
This 1946 law was designed to modernize Congress and help it keep pace with a rapidly expanding executive branch.
Legislative Reorganization Act (of 1946)
Endorsements and fundraising activity that takes place before a primary and effectively "selects" a frontrunner is called this.
Invisible primary
This 2014 Supreme Court decision struck down limits on aggregate federal campaign contributions, opening the door to dramatically expanded party fundraising.
McCutcheon v. FEC
These are the two stages of a constituency career, in which a member first broadens their base and then shifts focus to holding it.
Expansion stage & protection stage