Lawmakers and Legislatures

What makes an effective legislator?

11.1 Introduction

Do you have what it takes to be a successful legislator? Consider these questions:

• Do you have a burning desire to serve the people and a willingness to work long hours doing the public’s business?
• Are you prepared to apply common sense and sound moral judgment to the issues of the day?
• Do you possess the fortitude to read and digest documents that may be hundreds or even thousands of pages long?
• Do you value compromise?
• Are you brave enough to vote your conscience, even if it means going against the wishes of your party or the voters who elected you?

Even if you answered yes to these questions, lawmaking still may not be the career for you. As with most people who enjoy their work, one of the main goals of lawmakers is to keep their jobs. This means that along with other duties, they must always be thinking about how to stay in office. Political scientist David Mayhew makes this point in Congress: The Electoral Connection, his 1974 study of members of Congress:

With Mayhew’s observation in mind, think again about what you would need to be a successful legislator.

• You must be “electable” – charming, at ease speaking to crowds, and willing to tailor your views to match the results of public opinion polls.
• You must be able to raise money, and lots of it, to finance your election campaign.
• Once elected, you must become skilled at playing political games.
• When seeking reelection, you must show that you were able to bring taxpayer-funded projects back to your home district or state.

None of this means that you should abandon your idealism. Most politicians seek public office to pursue worthy goals, including making good public policy. Nonetheless, to be a first-rate legislator, you must learn how to enter and survive the rough-and-tumble world of politics.

Next Section: 11.2 (Legislators and Their Constituents)