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Congress and the people 383

survey shows tensions between being a delegate and a trustee. Respondents want their

representatives to “vote for what the people they represent want” and “spend more

time at home,” though they show little interest in having the representatives “spend

more time in Washington.” Thus, responsibilities for national interests may be more

difficult for members of Congress to explain to their constituents.

Members of Congress Want to Keep Their Jobs

Members’ relationships to their constituents also must be understood within the

context of their desire to be reelected. Political scientist David R. Mayhew argues in

Congress: The Electoral Connection that reelection must come first.^11 Members certainly

hold multiple goals, including making good policy, but if they cannot maintain their

seats, then they cannot attain other goals in office.

After assuming that reelection is central, Mayhew asks this question: “Members

of Congress may be electorally motivated, but are they in a position to do anything

about it?”^12 Although individual members of Congress cannot do much to alter national

economic or political forces that may affect voters’ choices, they can control their

own activities in the House or Senate. The importance of the electoral connection in

explaining the behavior of members of Congress seems especially clear for marginal

incumbents who are constantly trying to shore up their electoral base. But for those

from safe districts, why should they worry?

Incumbents Work toward Reelection While objectively it looks as though about

90 percent of House members (and a large proportion of senators) are absolutely safe

(see Figure 11.3), incumbents realize that this security is not guaranteed. Even in elections

electoral connection

The idea that congressional behavior

is centrally motivated by members’

desire for reelection.

FIGURE

11.3

Senate

reelection rate

40

60

80

100%

20

0

1952 1960 1968 1976 1984 1992 2000 2008 2018

House

reelection rate

Sources: The 1946–2012 percentages were compiled from Norman J. Ornstein, Thomas E. Mann, Michael J. Malbin, and Andrew

Rugg, “Vital Statistics on Congress,” http://www.brookings.edu/vitalstats, pp. 49–50 (accessed 4/18/14); 2014–2018 percentages were

calculated from opensecrets.org (accessed 11/7/18).

House and Senate Reelection Rates

The whole House is up for reelection every two years, so the line showing the reelection of House

members in a given election year represents the percentage of the entire House. Since senators are up for

reelection every six years, only one-third of the members are seeking reelection every two years. The line

for the Senate represents the percentage of those who won who were up for reelection in that election

year. Why do you think that House members have an easier time getting reelected than senators?

Full_12_APT_64431_ch11_374-417.indd 383 16/11/18 10:30 AM