ABSTRACT
Of the many forms of representation an elected official can provide, the most frequently studied by scholars of legislative behavior is policy responsiveness. 1 This representational component draws the bulk of scholarly attention because it is substantive policy outcomes that have the greatest potential influence on the citizenry. Other forms of representation are not unimportant, but ultimately it is representatives’ broad decisions about the role of government that touch the widest number of people. The translation of citizen preferences into policy outcomes is one of the signature features that distinguish democratic political systems from other forms of government. 2
