Mood and moderation: Alternative images of Senate reelection seeking behavior

Representation requires a degree of responsiveness on the part of legislators to voter preferences. This effort examines a model of responsiveness built on an ideological voter-senator linkage and implicitly confined to only the last stage of each senator's term and finds it wanting. Given cognitive limitations of the voters and behavioral constraints on senators' behavior, responsiveness based on ideology, and confined only to the period immediately preceding the next election, is unlikely to be electorally rewarding. An alternative model is proposed, one that does not make unreasonable assumptions regarding the abilities and interests of the voters and does not confine responsiveness to the cycles of election. Instead, public mood change is offered as the primary tool of communication between legislator and voter. Cues drawn from changing public attitudes are used by senators to reevaluate behavior and adapt to anticipated voter preferences. This responsiveness is not confined to the waning years of the term but, rather, is pervasive, affecting behavior in every year of the senator's tenure.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Political Science

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Segura, Gary Michael

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kuklinski, James H.

• Political Science, General

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1992 Segura, Gary Michael

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9305689
(UMI)AAI9305689

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/21864