2017/11/08 by Melinda N. Ritchie · 90 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Engineering · Social Sciences · #Accountability #Bureaucracy #Channel (broadcasting) #Computer science #Covert #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Engineering #Face (sociological concept) #Law #Legislature #Perspective (graphical) #Political Influence and Corporate Strategies #Political science #Politics #Public Policy and Administration Research #Public administration #Public relations #Representation (politics) #Social science #Sociology #Telecommunications
paper · doi:10.1086/694395
published in The Journal of Politics 80(1), 240-253 (University of Chicago Press)
openalex publication_date 2017/11/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
An underappreciated way members of Congress represent interests is by pursuing policy goals through their communication with the bureaucracy. I argue that the bureaucracy provides an alternative, covert way for cross-pressured legislators, who face diverging pressures from party leaders, interest groups, and subconstituencies, to satisfy conflicting interests. Using original data of senators’ communication with the US Department of Labor from 2005 to 2012 (109th through 112th Congresses), I show that, when faced with cross-pressures from party and constituency, senators strategically choose less visible, back-channel means for pursuing policy goals. These findings provide a new perspective on representation by demonstrating that legislators pursue policy goals outside of the legislative process in an effort to evade accountability.