Richard Fenno (“Home Style”)
Check Your Understanding:
1. Early in the reading, the concept of presentation of self is introduced, and
politicians are compared to actors. What is the goal of the politician and the
actor when “presenting themselves?”
2. Typically, how do constituents view their congressmen? (What comments are you
likely to hear)
3. What two things do politicians want to gain from their constituency?
4. We have discussed the idea of retrospective and prospective voting, but Fenno
suggests another question citizens ask when evaluating their congressmen. What
is the question?
5. How do politicians “justify” their votes to their constituency?
6. Provide one main argument on why politicians spend time in their own districts.
BONUS: Provide an example of when politicians might act in the role of a trustee or a
delegate