Michael K. Moore

Unfastening the Electoral Connection: The Behavior of U.S. Representatives when Reelection Is No Longer a Factor

While elections are essential to a democracy, it is commonly believed that the desire to secure reelection causes legislators to engage in many undesirable activities. In this note, by comparing the behavior of U.S. representatives who have chosen to run for reelection with those representatives who have decided not to do so, we provide evidence of the precise activities induced by electoral concerns. We find that elections cause members to go back to the district more often, to employ more staff assistants, to attend to roll-call voting more fastidiously, and to be more legislatively active. While these activities are no doubt consistent with the wishes of most constituents, the desire for reelection also encourage members to introduce what is apparently frivolous legislation on topics of little familiarity to the member. Those members who are not running for reelection, on the other hand, are more likely to have a successful and tightly focused legislative agenda.

Length of congressional tenure and federal spending: Were the voters of Washington state correct?

In this article we determine the nature of the relationship between congressional tenure and the distribution of federal outlays. A popular assumption is that this relationship is a strong one, with senior members of Congress obtaining a disproportionate share of federal dollars for their own constituents. In fact, the argument that senior members are able to perform this feat is suspected to be a factor in the defeat of a term limit initiative in Washington state in 1991. Term limits, it was argued at the time, would put the state of Washington at a disadvantage in the race for favorable federal treatment. Previous empirical research, however, has found little evidence that legislative tenure matters in the distribution of federal dollars, thus throwing into question the validity of popular assumptions about the importance of congressional tenure. By analyzing data at both the state and congressional district levels, we help to specify the conditions under which legislative experience does and does not lead to the acquisition of additional federal dollars.

Been There, Done That, But Did It Matter? Former State Legislators in Congress

Legislative scholars, members of Congress, and other observers have long argued that experiences prior to entering Congress influence the members congressional activities. In particular, many have commented that state legislative service prepares members for their congressional experience. This paper examines how service in a state legislature influences congressional behaviors during the members first term in Congress. The findings reveal that, contrary to conventional wisdom, service in a state legislature yields very little in the way of observable advantages for members engaged in a variety of legislative behaviors. We conclude that prior state legislative service may not be as valuable as many have suspected.