When the Framers were designing the federal government, they believed that the House of Representatives would be “the people’s” branch of government. Nowadays, however, many critics say that the House would be better described as “the insiders’” branch of government.
For this essay, we want you to assess the public’s role in congressional decision-making in the modern House of Representatives:
First, explain why legislators don’t listen to all constituents all the time.
Second, explain how policymaking in the current Congress might hinder public scrutiny.
Third, explain how partisan gerrymandering, campaign financing, and elite political polarizationmay make legislators less responsive to their constituents back home.