Home Style: House Members in Their Districts Longman Classics Edition

Fenno's Home Style may have since been surpassed by some of his own work, but the original is still the best, in my humble opinion. Fenno traveled with congressmen from around the country and examined how they interact with their constituents while "at home" and out of the Beltway. His findings are a must-read for anyone interested in politics, Congress, and the legislative process.Fenno finds that congressmen are motivated by three factors: first, a desire to be re-elected; second, a desire to gain power within Congress; and third, to try and enact what they believe to be good public policy. Congressmen link these desires with their "home style," that is to say, how they act when dealing with their constituents, and how that translates into their legislative effectiveness.Fenno also portrays the differing ways that congressmen approach their districts. Some are more personable, while others are more aloof and indirect in their dealings. Those who fear losing re-election the least are the least likely to regularly visit their districts (no surprise, but still a useful empirical finding).This book is a must-read!

This is a unique approach to the study of Congressional politics. It is not a 'first choice' for casual readers (see Mayhew or Fiornio for that). However, it is an interesting read and a nice supplement to other theory heavy texts. I have to imagine that this book has supplied more than a few questions for Grad students to begin their research on.

A classic in the field, it represents the districts and their representatives as they are. Mostly for the academic minded if you're going to teach a course on US Politics or Legislative behavior it is a good core book to read and build a class or two around.

Book Home Style: House Members in their districts by Richard F. Fenno arrived in one day. Thanks for the prompt service. I needed it for college course. Thanks again. wwilson in Kansas City, Mo.

This book offers a great review of what motivates the individual Congressman's behavior when they are in the capital and in their home district. What motivates these individuals is the desire to get reelected to another term, and to those ends these individuals have created a system geared to providing an advantage to incumbents. The motivation to get reelected and the systematic advantages amounted to a de facto system that prevented outsiders from challenging these individuals for office. This turns out to have significant consequences for the overall political system. A clear book, get it and learn.

Homestyle is easy to read and full of wonderful examples of how Congressmen relate to their districts. Based upon Fenno's extensive travels with and interviews of eight different Congressmen, it is a must for anyone interested in understanding American politics.