The Price of Inertia: An Elite Replacment Model of Representation

• Other Authors: Lewis, Christopher J. (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Political science
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-3092

Representation may be viewed as a dance in which the citizens and their representatives move in graceful unison. The question posed here is not whether this dance occurs, but rather what sustains it. Results presented throughout this manuscript consistently demonstrate first, that this correspondence between the preferences of citizens and the behavior of their legislators is neither an illusion nor mere coincidence. And second, results also show that this correspondence is not a product of any responsiveness on the part of representatives to the preferences of their constituents. It is not, then, the case that the constituents lead and the representatives follow. Rather it is the case that when the representatives are out of step, the constituents merely change partners. Representation in the United States House of Representatives is driven, largely, by electoral turnover. Constituents remove incumbents from office who do not toe the line and replace them with representatives who better fit the districts. Representation exists because elections perform their intended function. They allow districts to select representatives who adequately represent their preferences. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Political Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Fall Semester, 2006. === November 3, 2006. === Representation, Congress, Elite Replacement, Elite Response === Includes bibliographical references. === Robert Jackson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Tim Salmon, Outside Committee Member; Charles Barrilleaux, Committee Member; Robert Crew, Committee Member.