XII.

Challenges Facing Congress

American citizens harbor mixed feelings about Congress. Public opinion surveys show that people not only believe that Congress wields great power but that they also prefer that Congress take the lead in policy-making. But Americans also tend to distrust politicians and hold them in low regard. From Mark Twain and Will Rogers to Jay Leno and David Letterman, humorists have used Congress as the butt of many jokes.

Restless voters sometimes take their anger out on Congress. Incumbent members of Congress in the early 1990s, for example, became prime targets for voter unrest, and many were turned out of office. At other times voters seem content with the nation’s affairs, although Congress as a whole rarely receives rave reviews in public opinion surveys. Typically, fewer than half the citizens rate the performance of Congress positively. But as many as two-thirds of those questioned in polls approve of the job their own lawmakers are doing in Washington.

Financing congressional campaigns presents another problem. Winning a seat in Congress has become very costly. In 2000 the average winning Senate campaign spent more than $7 million, and the average successful House campaign more than $800,000. This means that lawmakers spend large amounts of time raising money for their next campaign or paying off debts from the last one. It also raises the possibility that members of Congress will cater to the lobbyists and interest groups who donate money to their campaigns. See Political Campaign.

On a daily basis, senators and representatives must juggle the task of making laws with the need to keep in touch with the voters who elected them. Members spend much time and energy traveling to and from their home states, talking with citizens, and explaining their votes and other actions. Voters expect lawmakers to pay close attention to what local folks think, and are ready to turn out of office anyone who seems to “lose touch” with popular views. But some critics wonder if lawmakers are too tightly bound to their constituents’ wishes, so that broader public interests are neglected. Some critics also wonder whether an elected assembly of citizens can form policies to cope with today’s complex, rapidly changing world. Are senators and representatives—who are mostly generalists elected from geographic areas—capable of resolving complex issues dealing with areas such as science, technology, economic regulation, or international affairs? Those who believe in representative government answer yes. But the final test, as always, lies in the wisdom and effectiveness of the laws themselves.