Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Program
Political Science
Advisor
David Jones
Subject Categories
Political Science
Abstract
Members of the United States Congress have a wide array of concerns when representing their respective districts and this includes re-election to office. Legislator responsiveness, a fundamental component to all democratic systems of government, plays a major role in the interaction that occurs between legislators and their constituents. However, many have argued that legislators are not responsive to their constituents when making legislative decisions. This study focuses on the election motives of members of Congress, with a special emphasis on competitiveness of a district as a driving force of legislator responsiveness. A quantitative analysis is conducted to search for correlation between the competitiveness of congressional districts and the roll call scores of legislators in Congress. I find some evidence suggesting that legislators are increasingly responsive in congressional districts that are increasingly competitive based off of district partisanship.
Recommended Citation
Donza, Joseph, "Electoral Competitiveness and Legislator Responsiveness" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5885