Influences on
Lawmakers
Influences on Lawmakers
• There are several factors that influence how
a lawmaker votes:
– temperament—some may be willing to take
risks while others “play it safe”
– the nature of the issue
– congressional staffers
The Influence of Voters
• Lawmakers’ decisions (and political careers)
are influenced by voters in several ways,
including:
– voter expectations based on lawmakers’
voting records,
– visiting the districts of their constituents to
gauge their opinions,
– messages from voters to find out what
issues concern them most, and
The Influence of Voters (cont.)
– the opinions of their key supporters,
including those who work in their
campaigns and contribute money.
The Influence of Parties
• Both major political parties—Republicans and
Democrats—take stands on major issues and
come out for or against certain legislation.
• Both Democrats and Republicans tend to
vote with their parties.
• Very few issues are unaffected by party
identity.
Helping the State or
District
Helping the District or State
• Members try to bring federal projects to their
districts and states in three ways:
– through pork-barrel legislation,
– winning federal grants and contracts, and
– by working to keep existing federal projects.
• When Congress passes laws to appropriate
money for local federal projects, is often
called pork-barrel legislation.
Helping the District or State (cont.)
• When two or more lawmakers agree to
support each other’s bills, it is called
logrolling.
• Lawmakers do not vote on grants and
contracts as they do on pork-barrel
legislation; however, they do try to influence
decisions.