Congressional Representation andPosition-Taking.

In this paper, we explore an under used resource to study congressional representation and support for the president. The data source is franked mail from the 107th Congress. In particular, we examine MCs in the context of support for or against the president. We examine the messages that representatives send to their constituents on two issue dimensions, homeland security and other domestic policies, in order to measure the members? perspectives and representational roles. We focus on MCs? views of presidential policies during a time in which America found herself under attack by terrorists and was wrestling with the after effects of those attacks. We are particularly interested in answering a set of interrelated research questions: Did legislators take positions supporting the president in the 107th Congress? How did these positions differ across homeland security and other domestic policy dimensions? And what electoral consequences did these positions have on House members? 2002 election results? We analyze legislators? platforms in relationship to positions staked out by the president, and whether MCs are in support or opposition to the president based on the messages they send to their constituents. Generally, we find that legislators sent many messages regarding both the president?s homeland security and domestic policies. Both Democratic and Republican legislators were likely to praise the president?s homeland security policies, though Republicans were likely to send more messages about homeland security than Democrats. Republicans were generally more supportive than Democrats of the president on domestic policy. Interestingly, congressional positions on the president?s policies did have an effect on the 2002 congressional elections. Legislators who frequently mentioned the homeland security policies of the president had higher general election vote shares, while legislators who frequently mentioned domestic policies of the president had lower vote shares. These electoral effects findings are not specific to the party of the legislator. This analysis and the unique data set of franked mass mailings sent by members of Congress offers insight on representation and presidential-congressional relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]