Participation In Congress

In congress, members are called upon all year long to cast a vote on an eclectic amount of motions, bills and amendments. Voting is one of the most important responsibilities a Member of Congress has and they take it extremely seriously. The rate of voting participation in the last couple Congresses was 95% of all the votes held. There was a 100% participation in 1998 when nine Representatives and sixteen Senators had perfect scores. Many modern issues today include: school safety, education assistance, gun control, abortion rights, social security reforms, medicare costs, environmental programs, trade with China- the list goes on. Before they cast a major vote, Members of the Congress become overwhelmed with all the opinions for several months, weeks, days and even minutes. They receive these opinions via mailbags filled with letters, faxes, emails, and calls from

They also receive background material from special interest groups and statements from expert witnesses who testify before the congressional hearing. The congressional agencies provide the members with studies and reports. There is definitely not a shortage of material, but how does the Congress come up with their opinion through all the conflicting voices of these different groups? Some members simply don’t. They vote how special interest groups or party leaders want them to. Others, on the other hand, vote on how they feel regardless of all the pressure that is put on them. We underestimate the thought and studying that goes into a single vote that involves interactions between the President, special interest groups, political contributors, constituents, the media and party leadership. Five factors are found in the decision making process: information gathering, constituency interests, expert opinions, political ramifications, and personal