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Mayhew Analysis Daily news In the book, Congress: The Electoral Connection, David Mayhew address his thought about the political system, and centralizes his argument for the assumption the fact that only intention a member of Congress features is reelection. The bulk of his argument is definitely the behavior by the members of Congress including advertising, credit claiming, and position choosing, which we all discussed in the lecture. Mayhew feels that these actions by the incumbent congressmen illustrate that they are even more worried about keeping their chair, than whatever else.

The first selection activity stated in the book can be advertising, which can be defined by simply Mayhew while: “any hard work to disseminate one’s name among matters in such a trend as to create a favorable picture but having little or no issue content,  (49). By simply spending money on advertisements, the house incumbent has a sizeable advantage more than their challenger. Mayhew’s distaste for this strategy comes from the sole purpose that most of it is completed while the congressmen are in office.

I think, I feel that Mayhew thinks of congressional elections as mare like a popularity competition based on this kind of statement, “There are standard routines”frequent trips to the constituency, non-political speeches and toasts to home followers, the sending out of care pamphlets and letters of condolence and congratulation,  (50). Mayhew knows this is a great unprincipled manner to receive reelected, but it will not end and congressmen will always take advantage of marketing anyway likely.

The second behavioral motive Mayhew discusses available is credit claiming. This allows incumbent to consider credit for government successes and look great to the constituents. The credit rating claiming technique allows for an associate of Congress to stick away as an individual rather than associated with a particular party. In order to do therefore , like we reviewed in class, the congressmen need to provide possessions to the matters that they can consider absolute credit for.

Mayhew argues which a congressman may take advantage of this kind of due to little knowledge, “For typical voters Capitol Hillside is a distant and strange place, handful of having nearly anything like a functioning knowledge of its maneuverings,  (69). Therefore , constituents do not way of being aware of if the credit claimed by way of a congressman is usually valid or not. This is why Mayhew argues that this approach is flawed because it may look to the constituents the fact that congressmen is putting in hard work, when really it is redundant actions to this district to help these groups get reelected.

However , like advertising, this is certainly a very important reelection tool and the incumbent desires to appear loyal to the constituency. Mayhew examines position acquiring, which is another activity congressmen use in their particular pursuit to get reelection. It really is defined in the book as “the public enunciation of a judgmental statement in anything probably be of interest to political actors,  (61). Mayhew states here that most incumbent’s judgment involves speaking on the concern rather than working on it. In class, we mentioned what happens in a role call up and the member must select a side.

Mayhew states that most congressmen will require the traditional route and take the situation that got them all their seat to begin with. This validates Mayhew’s discussion that most congressmen are content with their location due to the respect that comes with this and it pays well. Why would they need to leave? A congressman that has been reelected before understands what the constituents want, leading to them to take familiar stance on issues like they have in the past. These kinds of three techniques by incumbents seeking reelection draw enough conclusive evidence to contradict the following assertion: “The U.

S. Our elected representatives is a agent institution that effectively responds to the personal preferences of a most of Americans.  The words representative, institution, and effectively found my eyesight. Yes, there exists representation, but it really deems minor in the fact that it is more for the congressmen’s mind to stay in seats for their benefit, rather than seriously helping the constituents relating to Mayhew. There is no establishment, it is a group of individuals every single trying to create a positive graphic to the constituency through advertising.

In the United States Our elected representatives, congressmen don’t need their party to win the nomination, “In America the underpinnings of ‘teamsmanship’ happen to be weak or perhaps absent, allowing for possible for politicians to triumph over parties,  (22-23). Mayhew uses the British Legislative house as an example of strong party influence. The analysis and assessment of Mayhew’s debate on the reelection process allowed me in conclusion that the reliability of the declaration above noises true, when broken down, not necessarily.

Mayhew manufactured very strong and valid details about the incumbent’s method in order to remain in Congress. As well, relating to class discussion, most members is going to vote inside the direction that best fits them, which will Mayhew mentioned in part two of the book. It is noticeable that with Mayhew’s debate that many congressmen put themselves ahead of their particular constituents, which is not appropriate representation. In conclusion, it can be visible the fact that intent a part of congress has is reelection.

Mayhew clearly shows with his argument that the political election activities of advertising, credit claiming, and position choosing are done simply for reelection purposes and never for the betterment from the constituency. These types of three methods have almost no to do with legal guidelines and more so with publicity and appeasing the district by simply miniscule actions and conventional voting the fact that incumbent has done in the past. However , these 3 strategies happen to be assets to current congressmen and they will still take advantage of these people.

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