Legislative representation entails a degree of bonding between representatives and represented, demonstrated when constituents evaluate the performance of their representative favorably. Why are some constituents more favorable toward their representative than others? This analysis draws on previous research to construct and test a model of constituent evaluation. The data come from interviews conducted in 1988 with 1,013 Ohioans, who were asked to evaluate their member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The analysis relies on ordinary least squares regression. The results underscore the powerful role of partisanship in the nexus of constituents and their representatives.When constituents' attitudes toward representative institutions are compared to their attitudes toward individual elected representatives it has repeatedly been demonstrated that evaluations of the former are generally much less positive than assessments of the latter. Long ago, Fenno (1975, 278) argued that citizens use &dquo;different standards of judgment&dquo; to evaluate Congress than they invoke to assess their own representative in Congress. Constituents appraise Congress's performance mainly on the basis of their perceptions of its ability to solve national problems, work harmoniously with the president, and maintain a steady pace of legislative productivity.
In contemplating the political challenges facing the world in the twenty-first century, most evident are unresolved contemporary situations. The end of the twentieth century has seen the development of democracy in the postcommunist countries; yet unsuccessful transitions to democracy pose challenges. The NATO countries have recently been focused on the situation in Kosovo, which has much in common with conflicts in other regions where nationalist divisions are more politically salient than the fulfillment of democratic and human rights.Long-standing democracies are baffled by the internal lack of democracy in other countries and find themselves resorting to non-democratic practices (that is, to the use of force) in attempts to achieve peace among sovereign governments and respect for human rights in countries where their governments are not sovereign. The Kosovo situation is an example that raises a host of contemporary political issues for democracy itself: How can democracy be achieved? How can it be encouraged in other countries? When faced with the limitations posed by the sovereignty of the nation-state, to what degree should we resort to non-democratic means to enforce human rights? Most importantly, to what degree are the long-standing democracies actually fulfilling democratic tenets internally? The latter is the question that is most often overlooked.Having raised these questions, the Kosovo situation should be kept in mind as an example of the challenges that face the world. Here I turn to the broader issues that we will continue to encounter in the new century. In posing the question what are the political challenges that face the world? the following broad issues present themselves. Todays challenges require the attainment of democracy, harmony, and human rights. These are posed in a positive light: democracy instead of authoritarian regimes; harmony instead of ethnic, religious, and other conflict; and human rights instead of violence, war, and discrimination. Other essential challenges will not be discussed here, most notably the world economy, issues facing the developing world, and the continued threat of nuclear conflict. Here I focus on the attainment of democracy and the 407
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