Congressional Informal Groups as Representative Responsiveness

Authors

  • Arturo Vega

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2374-7781.1993.14.0.355-373

Abstract

Despite a proliferation of congressional groups since the mid-1970s, little attention has been devoted to the group life of Congress. This study focuses on congressional informal groups as modern extensions of representative responsiveness. Three questions are asked: (1) What are the roles and activities of congressional groups? (2) Are there differences in roles and activities by group type? and, (3) Are there patterns of activity that define a group life? Using survey data and factor analyses, this study, while discovering few distinctions among the groups, finds the group life of Congress as patterned responses to fulfilling the needs and interests of group constituencies and members of Congress.

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Published

1993-11-01

Issue

Vol. 14: Fall 1993

Section

Articles

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