The Duel Nature Of Congress

This idea adheres to nearly every congressman, as he or she wears a tailored suit in a blacked out car, being driven through the capital, only to return home to his or her constituencies in a button up and blue jeans.

Alanna Campbell

The role of congress is a complex one. Writing, reviewing, voting on legislation, committee appointments, constituency work, and campaigning makes a congressman's job a complex and exhausting process that can be hard for anyone to follow and to fully understand. But it is not only congress's job that lacks simplicity; the way in which individual congressmen approach their jobs, make decisions, and perform the array of tasks that are designated to them also proves to be multidimensional. While it is beyond the scope of this entry to explore the ins and outs of what makes congressmen tick, we can begin the process by discussing the dual nature of congress.

In order for congressmen to be effective, they have to do three things: (1) get power, (2) keep power, and (3) have sufficient political influence within congress to accomplish their own agenda. To get power, congressmen get voted into office, and to keep power they run for reelection. But gaining political influence within congress is a more complicated process. In a system where political alliances determine committee appointments and voting patterns, it becomes necessary for congressmen to make friends with the "right" people. Without fail, this results in the development of two separate constituencies, independent from one another.

One constituency is made up of you and me. The bottom line is that politicians need the support of the people to get elected. To earn our trust they identify with us, dressing as workers or posing with their families in campaign ads. By making promises of job creation, a revitalization of the economy, and happy days ahead, they make us believe that they are the human incarnation of our best interests. And to insure that they have our vote, they scrutinize their opponent(s) until we look like idiots if we vote for "the other guy." But we are not the only constituents that are necessary to the success of a congressman's career.

The second constituency is made up of the people who are necessary to form the political alliances needed to get sought after committee appointments and support for particular pieces of legislation. To these people, a different set of promises are made. In order to gain support from the second constituency, congressmen agree on legislative compromises and form coalitions to pass or block certain pieces of legislation.

A congressman's reward for forming strong political alliances goes beyond desirable committee appointments. It furthers his/her ability to insure the success of legislation that appropriates funds to projects, decreases unemployment, and satisfies the social stances of his or her district or state, and in turn, increases his or her chances of getting reelected. Furthermore, it allows them to make political moves that further the interests of lobbyists and interest groups who contribute to their success. It is, therefore, necessary for them to campaign to the constituency that allows them the necessary power to accomplish those things.

When we analyze the behavior of congress, it is important to fully understand who they are serving. We have to understand that they are attempting to act in the best interest of two separate constituencies whose interests are often times mutually exclusive. Many times, the result is a lot of compromises that produce laws that don't fully work for anybody, but are okay for a lot of people, and are just an abomination to others. Indeed, it is an interesting time to watch lawmakers in action.