Summary

Prof: Impact of learning constituency opinion on legislators’ votes Butler and Nickerson’s interest when they conducted a study dubbed “ Can Learning Constituency Opinion Affect How Legislator Vote?” is to know whether public the influence of public opinion on how legislators vote. In this case, the authors state that legislators that are trustees and according to the gyroscopic conception, public opinion does not matter. However, this study draws its justification from the fact that many other notions of representation advise legislators to attempt and vote in line with the opinions of their constituency members. The normative call in most of the alternative views on representation is that those in office should reflect and respond to the views of those who have elected them.
Obviously, answering the question of whether public opinion has a connection to the voting patterns of legislators is important in political science. Myriad studies have looked into the two areas in examining the connection between the two important variables and the article records several authors behind the inquiries. As the article reports, most of them clinch that legislators are indeed reactive to the opinions of the public as they depict a positive correlation between the variables (Butler and Nickerson, 56–57). After a conclusive examination of related literature, the researchers finally choose a methodology fit to investigate the query at hand.
The study involves 10, 690 New Mexicans who are asked to give their views regarding the Governor’s outlay plans for a unique summer session in 2008’s summer. The survey results, which reflect District-specific opinions, are shared with legislators, who are selected randomly. Findings from the research show that legislators tended to vote in line with the opinions of the members of their constituency (Butler and Nickerson, 72). This then proves that legislators work towards being responsive to the opinions of the public than to their natural states. The results have myriad implications for comprehension as well as improving the manner in which represent the preferences of their constituents.
Work Cited
Butler, Daniel M., and David Nickerson. “ Can Learning Constituency Opinion Affect How Legislators Vote? Results from a Field Experiment.” Quarterly Journal of Political Science 6. 1 (2011): 55–83. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.