The concept of “home style” has been investigated by several political scientists over the years, however “hill style” is a new phenomenon that has begun to pop up and catch the attention of political scientists. These are both important terms that refer to the representation styles of legislators in the U.S. Congress.
Defining and explaining these two concepts will help us to better analyze the importance of these ideas. Home style can be described as the way a legislator represents their district when they are actually in their district. The way in which legislators present themselves in their home districts is a crucial part of their political career. Legislators must build connections and trust with their constituents to ensure their reelection and a member’s home style is a vital part of this (Sinclair 436).
How many times a member goes back to their district is part of this idea of home style. When members make trips back to their home districts they attend many functions and events to make sure they are keeping in touch with their constituents (Sinclair 1996). A study conducted by Taggart and Durant looked at the home style of a U.S. Senator from the time he was elected and over the next six years. Documentary analysis was made from the Senator’s travel itineraries and specific focus was placed on the Senator’s attentiveness to the State, the community and to the nation as a whole. The study found that the Senator was more active and visible in his district as time went on. Over the entire period of study, party functions and media events were the two most common events he attended in his district. The Senator’s home style was also found to be quite consistent over the six year period, which is a very important aspect when gaining constituents’ trust (Taggart 491-502).
Another important aspect of home style is legislators’ open houses and town hall meetings that they hold in their districts. This provides an opportunity for constituents to talk directly to their legislators about pressing issues and current legislation. It also gives legislators the opportunity to gather their constituents’ opinions and feedback on issues and is a great tool for building trust among their constituency (Browning; Sinclair 437).
The video clip I have selected to represent home style is a clip from a town hall meeting held by Michigan Congressman Burt Stupak. In this clip he introduces the focus of the meeting, which was heath care reform, and why it is an important issue to the constituents in his district. He specifically mentions a couple local establishments, with the mention of a pasty shop, which is a common cuisine in his district, as well as Michigan Tech, a university located in Stupak’s district. In addition, he mentions a military battalion from the district that just came back from Afghanistan and honors their service to the country and the people of “copper country”, which is the people of his district.
During just the few minutes of the video I have selected here, the home style of Representative Stupak is very apparent. He wants to appear as just “one of the folks” of his district and he appears very approachable with normal clothes on rather than a suit and tie, which would not be common attire in his district. The manner in which he is talking is very casual and relaxed and he also mentions that at the end he will answer any questions the constituents may have. The way in which Representative Stupak presents himself in this video is a good example of home style and the way in which members of Congress aim to present themselves in their districts to their constituents.
Home style is a very important aspect of a politician’s career, specifically when it comes to reelection time. Members use home style as a reelection strategy by appearing to constituents as “from the district” and that they have the constituents’ best interests in mind, which earns trust among constituents and in turn the member wins the constituent’s vote. Richard Fenno highlights the importance of home style and reelection in his “Concentric Circle of Constituency Model”. In this model he describes the smallest concentric circle, the personal circle, and then the three subsequent circles, with each circle being bigger than the previous one. After the personal circle is the primary circle, then the most important, the reelection circle and finally the geographical circle. The reelection circle is vital to maintain because it is made up of the legislator’s initial election base of supporters and this group of support is critical for reelection. Home style strategies are used to maintain this reelection circle, which increases the chance of reelection (Jacobson 88; Browning).
Hill style is the other type of representation style displayed by members of Congress. It is a fairly new term but is becoming a more popular area of investigation and research among political scientists. Hill style is equally as important as home style because this style includes how members fulfill their campaign promises. It is important that legislators don’t fall into the “Washingtonian” category and become out of touch with their constituents back in their district. This is precisely where hill style comes into play. Hill style can be described as the way in which a member directly represents or gives back to their district from “The Hill” or Washington D.C. (Browning). There are several ways in which members go about displaying hill style, which are prominently displayed in two of the video clips I have selected.
The first video I have chosen to represent hill style is Congressman Hinojosa from Texas voicing his support on the House floor for a water conservation project. The passage of this bill would specifically fund water conservation projects in his home district. He specifically mentions how the issue is important to his constituents and discusses the impact these water projects will have on farmers in his district. In addition, the population growth that his district has seen is so high that these water project funds are key to meet the needs of his district’s growth. This is a prime example of a member fighting for earmarks and funding that will go back to the district. Members of Congress, as a way to represent their constituents, request funds that are allocated for projects in their district. Many constituents see this as an important duty of their legislator and will be more likely to support a legislator who is bringing this back to their district.
The second video highlighting hill style is Congressman Burton of Indiana honoring his district’s Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl Championship. He specifically mentions his faith in his team and how the whole team has proudly represented Indianapolis. He voices his pride in the coaches and players and how they have “done Indianapolis proud”. Honoring this hometown team is another common way legislators display hill style. In addition, they often honor military men and women, various sports teams, great achievements of constituents and other hometown heroes.
Hill style is a very important aspect of how a politician carries themselves. Bringing money back to the district through earmarks and other appropriations show constituents their member is representing them and their best interests. Honoring people, businesses and sports teams from home districts display a sense of pride legislators have of their districts and supporting these people and causes show that the legislator is truly “one of the district”. By displaying hill style, constituents see the hard work of their legislator first hand and the member garners support from the district, which is crucial when reelection time rolls around. Specifically, the member can go back to the district with a list of all the things they have brought back to the constituents, which is key during competitive campaign season.
Home and style and hill style are key factors in legislators’ behavior. It is important for them to be available and in touch with their constituents in their district as well as represent them on Capitol Hill. As we have seen, legislators use a variety of ways to display home style back in their districts and hill style in Washington D.C. These types of representation are both particularly important reelection strategies as well as a way to gain their constituents trust and support. These two types of representation will surely continue to be a topic of study for political scientists, as both become more common terms used to coin legislator behavior.
Works Cited
Browning, Robert. "Home Style." POL 411 Class. Purdue University, West Lafayette. 8 Feb. 2010. Lecture.
Jacobson, Gary C. "Chapter 4: Congressional Campaigns." The Politics of Congressional Elections. 7th ed. Pearson Education, 2009. 88. Print.
Sinclair, Barbara. "An Effective Congress and Effective Members: What Does It Take?" Political Science and Politics 29.3 (1996): 435-39. Print.
Taggart, William, and Robert Durant. "Home Style of a U.S. Senator: A Longitudinal Analysis." Legislative Studies Quarterly 10.4 (1985): 489-504. Print.
