Research On The Interaction Mode Between American Congressmen And Voters

The relation between congressmen and voters is the core issues of representative system and also is important content of the socialist democratic construction. Positive interaction of congressmen and voters could promote social stability, widen benefit express and maintain the government’s legitimacy. There still has a huge space to improve for the relationship between Chinese representatives and voters. While the mode of interaction between American congressmen and voters has developed into mature and stable. Through analyzing US mode’s existence foundation, safeguard mechanism and operating rules, this paper tries to find solutions in improving interaction between Chinese representatives and voters.This paper is divided into five parts:Part I:Introduction. This part introduces the origins and practical significance of this subject, then summarizing the previous studies on this subject from home and abroad, putting forward their main views and deficiencies. It explains researching methods, innovations, deficiencies and related conceptions of this thesis.Part II:the keystone of American congressmen and voters’interactive mode. By taking a fundamental assumption:there existed a close interaction between US congressmen and voters, this part explains keystone of the close interaction from four aspects. First, theoretical foundation. The relationship between US congressmen and voters is principal-agent mode with discretion. Second, political system. US unlimited tenure and munificent treatment create a temptation for congressmen to get reelected. The direct electoral system provides the driving force for congressmen to contact with voters. Third, legal protection. The congress reforms in1970s provide a series of laws for regulating congressmen’s behavior and making information public. Fourth, political cultural. Unique political cultural of US cultivated voters a strong sense of political participate and trained congressmen a high responsibility.Part III:three mode of interaction between American congressmen and voters. Under congressmen’s domination, congressmen are committed to contact their voters, handle affairs for voters, and seek benefits for constituency. Under voters’domination, voters are getting information and expressing benefits when contacting congressmen. Under Intermediary organizations’domination, mass media and interest group can connect congressmen and voters by using their powerful resource integration ability.Part Ⅳ:differences between USA and China’s interaction of representatives and voters. From the perspective of representative system, there existed a huge difference between USA and China’s representatives and voters in relationship mode, electoral method, nature of work and work condition. This part set a foundation for next part by analyzing affected factors.Part V:the enlightenment from US mode. After analyzing US mode, this part is trying to find solutions to perfect Chinese political system and promote interaction between Chinese representatives and voters. First, perfecting the election system of representative. Reforming representatives’election and carrying out the introduction of representatives will strengthen representatives’responsibility. Second, promoting reform of representative. It includes specialization of representatives, regularization bidirectional interaction mode and providing effective safeguard measures. Third, promoting citizens’political participation. It includes creating participatory culture and innovating ways of political socialization to enhance citizen’s sense and capability of political participation in China.