Does DC reflect its districts?

Consultants and staff hear the refrain regularly from members: “I know my district/state. I know what they think.” But do they really? …

Politicians are free to ignore public opinion — and some consider it a virtue to do so — but they frequently misperceive it, misjudging the views of their own constituents in meaningful ways. They cannot help but distort the decision-making process in legislative bodies.

The fact that legislators on the right make consistently bigger errors in assuming the conservatism of their constituents may account for some of the dysfunction evident in today’s GOP. CONT.

Mark Mellman (Mellman Group), The Hill

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