Question

What are the differences between a congressperson acting like a trustee and a congressperson acting like a delegate?

Answer 1

Answer: Representative Greggs won her last election by more than 7% of the vote and feels confident that she is likely to be reelected. This may give her more room to vote with her conscience on bills, even if a majority of her constituents disagree with some of her positions; this is an example of trustee behavior.

However, Representative Carver is a Democrat representing a district that usually votes Republican and won his last election by only 1% of the vote, so he may feel in danger of losing his next election. He is more likely to act as a delegate, prioritizing his constituents' wishes over his own judgment, in order to guarantee a win in his next election.

Explanation: