Replication Data For \"Do Constituents Know (or Care) about the Lawmaking Effectiveness of their Representatives?\"

Substantial evidence exists that members of the U.S. Congress vary in their lawmaking effectiveness. Less known, however, is whether constituents are sufficiently informed and inclined to hold their representatives accountable, based on their effectiveness. We conduct two separate survey experiments, informing some constituents about lawmakers’ effectiveness and comparing their responses to those with the baseline level of information. We find that voters demonstrate little knowledge of their elected officials’ lawmaking effectiveness. When presented with objective and credible information about lawmaking effectiveness, however, respondents express greater approval of more effective lawmakers. Effects are strongest among ideological moderates, but are even pronounced among partisans, who approve of effective representatives of the opposing party, and disapprove of ineffective representatives from their own party.

已有大量实证证据表明，美国国会成员的立法效能存在显著差异。然而目前学界尚未明确的是，选区民众是否已充分知晓议员的立法效能，并据此倾向于对其履职情况进行问责。本研究开展两项独立的调查实验：向部分选区民众披露其议员的立法效能信息，并将其态度反馈与仅掌握基础信息的对照组受访者进行对比。研究结果显示，选民对其当选官员的立法效能几乎一无所知。但当受访者获取到关于立法效能的客观可信信息后，会对更具立法效能的议员表现出更高的认可度。该效应在意识形态温和派群体中最为显著，但即便在党派选民中也同样明显：他们会认可反对党中立法效能出色的议员，同时否决本党中履职不力的议员。