The three activities are advertising, credit claiming, and position taking. Advertising allows a candidate to “disseminate [his] name among constituents in such a fashion as to create a favorable image” (Mayhew 2004, 49). With proper advertising, a candidate can put his name out there in a variety of fields, in a way that will make constituents want to vote for him. Credit claiming “generates a belief… that [a congressman] is personally responsible for causing the government to do something… desirable” (52-53). Congressmen take responsibility for positive achievements in the government. When credit is claimed, congressmen get votes from constituents who see them as the cause of this helpful legislation. Lastly, position taking, defined as “the public enunciation of judgmental statements on anything likely to be of interest to political actors,” secures voters with viewpoints that align with those of the congressman (61). These three actions closely tie congress to its constituents. Congressmen do all that they do to create ties with potential voters. A congressman’s reelection seems impossible without the support of his constituents when viewed through Mayhew’s
The three activities are advertising, credit claiming, and position taking. Advertising allows a candidate to “disseminate [his] name among constituents in such a fashion as to create a favorable image” (Mayhew 2004, 49). With proper advertising, a candidate can put his name out there in a variety of fields, in a way that will make constituents want to vote for him. Credit claiming “generates a belief… that [a congressman] is personally responsible for causing the government to do something… desirable” (52-53). Congressmen take responsibility for positive achievements in the government. When credit is claimed, congressmen get votes from constituents who see them as the cause of this helpful legislation. Lastly, position taking, defined as “the public enunciation of judgmental statements on anything likely to be of interest to political actors,” secures voters with viewpoints that align with those of the congressman (61). These three actions closely tie congress to its constituents. Congressmen do all that they do to create ties with potential voters. A congressman’s reelection seems impossible without the support of his constituents when viewed through Mayhew’s