The activities of members of Congress define how the society will function and thus must be carefully studied and explored. There are several theories that seek to describe the behavior of Congress members and establish certain rules and patterns. The congressional behavior theory and the legislative cartel theory are two of the main approaches to the description of congressional activities, and they can be applied together.
There are many factors that affect the behavior of embers of Congress, and one of them is the re-election process. Re-election helps to keep congress members accountable and serves as an important procedure for the analysis of the actions of each congress member (Carson & Lynch, 2020). In other words, during re-elections, voters get an opportunity to demonstrate how satisfied they are with the actions of the candidate. If the congress member fails to achieve the goals they previously articulated as part of their campaign, the citizens will decide to avoid voting for them during the re-election. Thus, when congress members understand that they will definitely face re-election in the coming months and therefore risk losing their seats, they will be motivated to deliver on their promises. Additionally, re-elections are also important because they provide opportunities for new candidates with alternative viewpoints and projects to run for office. Thus, the re-election process is vital for maintaining democracy and the rule of law in Congress and society.
At the same time, in the situation when the electoral connection is absent and Congress members do not face re-election, the opposite may occur. For instance, members of Congress may avoid delivering on their initial promises and may participate in legislative activities less often. Essentially, without facing the need to participate in re-elections, congress members will not be incentivized to actively engage in different projects promoting the well-being of their constituencies (Carson & Lynch, 2020). Thus, such members of Congress will be less likely to introduce various bills or make speeches in front of other Congress members. At the same time, in the absence of the need to develop initiatives that are in the interest of their voters, Congress members may be more focused on the initiatives benefiting them directly. Another possible outcome of the absence of re-election is that Congress members will be less likely to send and keep their staffers to different districts and to collect information about the problems of the locals.
As mentioned above, there are many approaches to describing the conduct of Congress members, and the primary ones are the theory of congressional behavior based on problem-solving and the legislative cartel theory. The former refers to the idea that voters always value the ability of Congress members to solve problems. Therefore, re-election encourages Congress members to work for the benefit of the constituencies (Adler & Wilkerson, 2013). The legislative cartel theory suggests that the House members, especially of the majority party, usually work together to seize power and gain control over the legislative process (Cox & McCubbins, 1993). Thus, according to the cartel theory, the representatives begin to work in the interest of the party leadership. The two aforementioned theories can work together effectively because by being a part of the cartel, Congress members facing re-election can solve more problems, especially when their agenda coincides with that of the party. Moreover, in exchange for participation in cartels, members are often given seats in congressional committees. Membership in committees also can enable representatives to promote the interests of their constituencies.
The behavior of Congress members is an interesting issue that has to be studied in detail. When Congress members face the prospect of re-election, they are incentivized to work for the benefit of their voters in order to receive their support and retain their seats. At the same time, in the absence of re-election, Congress members may be less likely to engage in activities promoting the interests of their constituencies.
References
Adler, E., & Wilkerson, J. (2013). Congress and the politics of problem-solving. Cambridge University Press.
Carson, J., & Lynch, M. (2020). New directions in congressional politics. Routledge.
Cox, G., & McCubbins, M. (1993). Legislative Leviathan: Party government in the House. University of California Press.