Bringing Representation Home
Subtitle: State Legislators Among Their Constituencies
Publisher: University of Missouri Press
Published: March 2003
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 227
ISBN-13: 9780826214522
Subjects: Central government; Elections & referenda; Political science & theory; U.S. State Government; Politics / Current Events; Political Science; States; Politics/International Relations; USA; Government - Legislative Branch; Government - State & Provincial; Government - U.S. Government; United States; Legislators; Representative government and; Representative government and representation
Description: "In Bringing Representation Home, Michael A. Smith strays from the norm by asking instead, "How can we discover what representation is?" In pursuing the answer to this question, Smith focuses on what representation is in practice, not what it is in theory. Over the course of two legislative sessions, Smith interviewed and observed twelve state representatives in an effort to better understand and define their approaches to representation.

He offers generalizations, but only after grounding his study in descriptions of representatives performing their jobs.".

"The twelve representatives are divided into four categories: Burkeans, in-district advocates, advocates beyond the district, and ombudspersons. Burkeans emphasize character and experience, advocates stress "socializing the conflict," and ombudspersons underscore listening, responding, and compromising. Smith superbly builds his argument for this classification through an assortment of illustrative examples.

He also makes a strong case that home style - the symbolic presentation that a representative makes at home in seeking political support from constituents - is a product of the interaction between the legislator's personality and progressive ambition and the district's characteristics and politics.

Smith contends that the key to an effective representational strategy is for a representative to have not only an ideology that reflects the politics of his or her community, but also an understanding of the district's interests, informed by interactions with organized constituencies at home."--BOOK JACKET.