April 26, 2017
Ben Highton (University of California, Davis)
This paper analyzes the positions Members of Congress take on important aspects of public policy, voters’ preferences on those issues, and individual-level voting behavior in congressional elections. Four distinct types of issue accountability are theorized and evidence for one is found, but only with respect to one of the five issues examined. The central implication is that representatives appear to have a good deal of discretion to take positions – at least with respect to voters – without paying an electoral penalty. The “electoral blind spot” (Bawn et al. 2012) in congressional elections may be substantial.