Our Congress
“Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government that represents the American people and makes the nation's laws...and of the three branches of government, Congress is the only one elected directly by the people.”[1] Members of the House of Representatives serve two years, Senators serve six years. They have arguably the most power to deliver change in our government, and yet, they spend their years in D.C plotting the route to their re-election. As depressing as that may seem, the reality is that most of a Congressperson’s term is spent campaigning. This election-motivated system is one that encourages — no, requires — this behavior from members of Congress. In a book by David Mayhew, he stated, “Congress is made up of single-minded seekers of reelection; a mindset which affects how they gathered support, interacted with interest groups, made policy, virtually everything within Congress and on Capitol Hill.” [2] However, this by no means is the only thing that motivates members of Congress. Although it is extraordinarily difficult to believe, most are interested in policy making. Lest we forget, for many, they are after the power and prestige that comes with the position.
A frequent complaint from the average American is that Congress is ineffective, and that Congressmen spend more time serving themselves rather than serving the people they were elected to represent. That statement is half true. A recent study show that Congressmen spend nearly half their time fundraising. [3] According to Nick Tomboulides, the Executive Director of U.S. Term Limits, “Prioritizing fundraising for political campaigns over legislative responsibilities is disastrous for the American people. This reinforces that term limits need to be imposed on members of Congress as a measure to reduce the power of an uncontrolled Washington political machine…Incumbents have an overwhelming political advantage because we pay them to raise money for their re-elections. Challengers don’t stand a chance.” [3]
While one may argue that money has little to do with the outcome of elections, having resources to buy campaign signs and airtime definitely has not hindered an election. Aggressive advertising helps to scare off potential challengers as well as cast a wider net for potential voters.
The way our current system is set up, campaigns cost an enormous about of money to run. This opens the door to potential conflicts of interest. The money donated by big donors (or lobbyists) may inhibit the ability for the Congressmen, once elected, to do an honest job. I would think that publicly funded campaigns with set budgets and donated airtime would be an easy solution, but clearly that is not a in the best interest of the corporations looking to influence Congress members. But, I digress.
Fundraising is not the only thing that Congressmen do to help their re-election. There is a plethora of tactics used by incumbents to ensure their seat for the next term.
Re-election primarily depends on a ‘electoral connection’. Members of Congress achieve and maintain this connection in different ways. One way is with advertising. This could mean anything from mailers, signs and commercials, to attending public events and meeting with constituents. Congress members also remind constituents of policies or programs that have benefited them, and they take a position on issues that concern voters, reassuring their constituents that they are on their side when it comes to policy and local issues. These tactics are essential for what Political Scientists refer to as ‘Home Style’. This, simply put, is a sense of connection to their home town. Home Style establishes and maintains trust with their constituents. Many Congressmen stay in their districts three to four days a week. This can reinforce the idea that they are one of “us”, that they aren't in some far off city atop an Ivory Tower completely detached from the real world and the issues that plague our society.
Despite this constant pandering to the people's needs, Congress as a whole is generally very unpopular to the American public. And I’ll be the first to admit it, I am not exactly delighted with the current state of apparent gridlock in Congress. From a distance they, all seem to me to be very self interested and stubborn. While I am aware that most are trying to do their jobs, recent events, such as the Democratic sit-in over the gun policy reform in the House of Representatives, made my confidence in Congress drop significantly. Republican Representatives refused to vote on a policy that could save lives because they were afraid of the retaliation from not only their voters, but the NRA. That, to me, is a serious issue. The fact that they refused to do their job because of a gun lobby and their own re-election campaign suggest the system is seriously broken, or at the very least severely flawed.
Most of this gridlock, in my opinion is because of the constant campaigning and the expense of re-election. Whether or not they agree with a policy or a social stance — such as immigration or LGBTQ rights — every move a congressman makes could result in the loss of a donor or the trust of their constituency. It puts congress members in a bit of a sticky wicket. The fact of the matter is that the main job of a Congressman is to get re-elected.
Congressmen spend most of their time in office, ensuring that they will remain in office. Their motivations often hinder progress, and in my ever so humble opinion, is at a point where it’s truly unacceptable. I stand by my opinion that eradicating big money in campaigns would help this issue enormously, but the fact of the matter is, Congress’s job is to run this great country of ours, and we have a system where they are incapable of doing that job. I think it’s time for a change.
Sources:
“What Congress Does” U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. October 11, 2016. https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/about-congress/what-congress-does
Mayhew, David “Congress: The Electoral Connection (2 ed.)” November 10, 2004. Yale University Press.
Selleck, Stacey. “Congress Spends More Time Dialing for Dollars Than on Legislative Work.” US Term Limits. April 26, 2016. October 11, 2016. https://www.termlimits.org/congress-fundraising-priority/