Congressional Travels

Download or read book Congressional Travels written by Richard Fenno and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-01-08 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A follow up book to his classic Home Style: House Members in their Districts, this new book by the preeminent legislative studies scholar, Dick Fenno, is intended for use in courses on Congress, political campaigning, and American government. Written in Fenno’s “homespun” story-telling style, this book argues that authenticity — knowing what a representative is like in his/her district and looking beyond mere roll call voting — contributes significantly to understanding the full body of work done by our members of Congress. It further posits, by recounting Fenno’s actual life’s work, that the best way to gain a sense of authenticity is to do what Fenno is most famous for — i.e., making multiple trips and spending a great deal of time observing representatives at home, with their constituents, in their districts. The book is an engaging, quietly provocative, and unique title that offers an alternative to what some consider the increasingly specialized and technical nature of political science