One of the main functions of members of Congress is the representation of their constituencies and the promotion of their interests. At the same time, the question of representation is much more complex than it seems and therefore requires a close examination. In fact, there are several types of representation and Congress members can vary them depending on different contexts and other important factors, including gender and race.
Congressmen or congresswomen may exhibit various types of representation when performing their duties. The first common representation behavior is the delegate model, which implies that the congress member acts only as a person who seeks to enact the desires of their constituents (Butcher & Gooch, 2021). Essentially, the delegate-model representatives do not use their own judgment and only rely on the wishes of their voters. There is also a trustee model of representation involving Congress members making their own decisions yet while being guided by the interests of their party or entire nation (Butcher & Gooch, 2021). Nevertheless, members of Congress tend to vary their modes of representation in different circumstances. Researchers state that Congress members usually utilize the politico model, which requires them to act as delegates or trustees depending on their rational political calculations. For instance, when the interests of the nation are more important than those of the constituents, despite contradicting them, Congress members utilize the trustee model.
Factors such as gender, race, and ethnicity are vital for representation since they often shape the actions of congressmen or congresswomen. Members of Congress may support initiatives that do not align with the interests of their constituents but reflect their gender beliefs. For example, congresswomen may feel obligated due to their gender to support a bill guaranteeing abortion rights to females, which may be against the beliefs of the majority of their constituents (Atkinson & Windett, 2019). Moreover, research also indicates that Latina members of Congress may be more inclined to represent the interests of immigrants (Dittmar et al., 2022). Essentially, the personal characteristics and experiences of congressmen and congresswomen directly affect their behavior in terms of representation. Moreover, the race and gender of the congress members and their constituents can impact their former’s representation choices.
At the same time, legislative representation should always be considered from the perspective of a Biblical model of statesmanship. The mission of every Christian statesman and stateswoman is to pursue the principles of justice, righteousness, and truth in the government. Therefore, the first and most important rule which should be followed by all Congress members embracing Christian statesmanship is the need to align their initiatives with the aforementioned principles. Thus, members of Congress should always adjust their representation activity to Christian values. In other words, members of Congress must represent the interests of Christianity and believers. In situations when members of Congress have to choose between representing their constituents’ wishes which contradict Christian values, and making their own righteous decision, the latter option has to be selected. Essentially, according to a Biblical model of statesmanship, Christian belief becomes the defining factor for the representation model of members of Congress.
Models of representation constitute a major issue for members of Congress, who generally tend to vary them. The two main forms of representation are the delegate and trustee models, which enable congressmen and congresswomen to either act according to their constituents’ wishes or make their own judgments. Members of Congress change their representation models depending on different factors, including gender, race, as well as the principles of Christian statesmanship.
References
Atkinson, M. & Windett, J. (2019). Gender stereotypes and the policy priorities of women in Congress. Political Behavior, 41, 769–789.
Butcher, J., & Gooch, A. (2021). The development of representation in American political institutions. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 46(4), 1059–1086.
Dittmar, K., Wineinger, C., &, Sanbonmatsu, K. (2022). Studying legislatures at the intersection of gender and race: The view from the 114th Congress. PS: Political Science & Politics, 55(2), 277–279.