Fenno Ch 1-2.docx - Priscilla Esparza Dr. Cargile 1. What...

Priscilla Esparza
Dr. Cargile
1. What does Fenno mean by homestyle? Be detailed in your explanation.
2. What are the four constituencies that House members have to look out for? Make sure to
provide a detailed explanation for each constituency.
Geographical: The district or their district in which the congressman/ congresswoman is
established in. The entity in which he or she travels to and from, the place in which they have
ties. This includes geographical space and place perception. One important aspect is the location,
boundaries, and it’s internal makeup. All of the demographic characteristics of the geographical
constituency carry political implications. Also the number of and compatibility of significant
interests within that geography make a difference in winning or losing an election. As well as the
homogeneity and heterogeneity characteristics of the location.
Re-election: The people that he or she thinks will vote for them as they move along the district.
Basically the places in which he or she will receive support and the places they won’t do well.
By distinguishing supporters from non-supporters they’re articulating the baseline for political
perception. The Process by which his
desire for re-election gets translated into his perception of a re-election constituency is filled with
uncertainty. Also the perceived partisan component of the voter, party identification and party
voting all take a toll in getting re-elected.
The primary constituency or the strongest supporters involves looking at temporary supporters
versus strong supporters. A temporary or routine supporter votes for them because of party
identification or because they are the better available alternative. However, the strong supporters
are where congressmen/ congresswoman should have their focus on. Strong supporters create an
electoral defense system and help them win elections. These supporters can be loyal and willing
to extra lengths for the candidate to win. A majority of financial help and volunteer work comes
from these types of supporters.
The intimates of personal constituency is basically the people who have a personal and intimate
relationship with the congressman/congresswoman. This relationship may have political and
emotional dimensions to it. It is considered the most idiosyncratic in comparison to the other
constituencies because of how personal it is. Also not all members of Congress allow the public
to witness or observe these types of relationships.
3. What does Fenno explain about the allocation of resources for House members?

the resources available to help the congressman do his/her job and how much do they want to