Abstract
Much of the rational choice literature suggests that constituency considerations will dominate decision-making when constituency concerns are pronounced and the issue is conducive to citizen audit. The 1990 House of Representatives vote on a constitutional amendment banning flag burning provides a good test of this argument. Drawing from a survey of legislators and polling data we argue that even in the face of salient constituency views legislators demonstrated a willingness to vote their policy views and cross their constituents. We explore how concerns about reputation and other considerations contributed to this phenomenon. We also suggest directions for future research.
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For financial assistance in conducting this research, we wish to express appreciation to the Japanese Corporate Associates and the Committee on Electoral Politics, both of which are at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. We also wish to thank Joseph Kalt and John Kingdon for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
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Lascher, E.L., Kelman, S. & Kane, T.J. Policy views, constituency pressure, and congressional action on flag burning. Public Choice 76, 79–102 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01049344
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01049344