Description
Do members of Congress follow through on the appeals they make in campaigns? The answer to this question lies at the heart of assessments of democratic legitimacy. This study demonstrates that, contrary to the conventional wisdom that candidates' appeals are just 'cheap talk', campaigns actually have a lasting legacy in the content of representatives' and senators' behavior in office. Levels of promise-keeping vary in a systematic fashion across legislators, across types of activity, across time and across chamber. Moreover, legislators' responsiveness to their appeals shapes their future electoral fortunes and career choices, and their activity on their campaign themes leaves a tangible trace in public policy outputs. Understanding the dynamics of promise-keeping thus has important implications for our evaluations of the quality of campaigns and the strength of representation in the United States.
Sulkin shows that legislators' campaigns have a lasting legacy in the content of their behavior in office.
About the Author
Tracy Sulkin is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is the author of Issue Politics in Congress, which won the American Political Science Association's Fenno Prize for the best book in legislative studies. Her work has appeared in leading journals such as the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics and Legislative Studies Quarterly.
Reviews
"In this important new book, Tracy Sulkin asks a relatively simple, yet important question in the context of studies on representation: do members of Congress actually follow through on the appeals they make in campaigns once they are elected? Through a careful analysis of individual campaigns and legislative behavior in both the House and Senate, she concludes that the answer is indeed "yes.".. I encourage anyone interested in legislative accountability and representation to check out this exciting new contribution to the field of legislative studies." -Jamie Carson, University of Georgia, Congress & the Presidency
"In The Legislative Legacy of Congressional Campaigns, Tracy Sulkin provides an excellent follow-up to her first volume, Issue Politics in Congress (2005). As with Issue Politics, Legislative Legacy demonstrates a keen interest in connecting congressional elections and legislative behavior. The books asks a simple question: do legislators keep their campaign promises?... This is a timely work, given the profoundly low level of public approval for the country's most democratic branch of government. Moreover, the topic is normatively important, in that it sheds light on representation." -Elizabeth A. Oldmixon, University of North Texas, American Review of Politics
Book Information
ISBN 9780521730488
Author Tracy Sulkin
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 380g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 155mm * 15mm
Sulkin shows that legislators' campaigns have a lasting legacy in the content of their behavior in office.
About the Author
Tracy Sulkin is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is the author of Issue Politics in Congress, which won the American Political Science Association's Fenno Prize for the best book in legislative studies. Her work has appeared in leading journals such as the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics and Legislative Studies Quarterly.
Reviews
"In this important new book, Tracy Sulkin asks a relatively simple, yet important question in the context of studies on representation: do members of Congress actually follow through on the appeals they make in campaigns once they are elected? Through a careful analysis of individual campaigns and legislative behavior in both the House and Senate, she concludes that the answer is indeed "yes.".. I encourage anyone interested in legislative accountability and representation to check out this exciting new contribution to the field of legislative studies." -Jamie Carson, University of Georgia, Congress & the Presidency
"In The Legislative Legacy of Congressional Campaigns, Tracy Sulkin provides an excellent follow-up to her first volume, Issue Politics in Congress (2005). As with Issue Politics, Legislative Legacy demonstrates a keen interest in connecting congressional elections and legislative behavior. The books asks a simple question: do legislators keep their campaign promises?... This is a timely work, given the profoundly low level of public approval for the country's most democratic branch of government. Moreover, the topic is normatively important, in that it sheds light on representation." -Elizabeth A. Oldmixon, University of North Texas, American Review of Politics
Book Information
ISBN 9780521730488
Author Tracy Sulkin
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 380g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 155mm * 15mm
