Abstract
The delegate theory of representation posits that legislators ought to reflect purposively the preferences of their constituents. We show that this form of representation does take place on salient issues when the theory's two fundamental conditions are fulfilled simultaneously. First, legislators must think of themselves as delegates. Second, constituencies must provide consistent cues regarding district preferences to their representatives. The absence of either or both conditions seriously disrupts dele- gated representation
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 278 |
| Journal | American Journal of Political Science |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1 1979 |
Keywords
- constituents
- legislators
- voting
- liberalism
- saliency
- political representation
- referendums
- regression coefficients
- incumbents
- test theory