The article, published in Political Research Quarterly, examines how members of Congress communicate with constituents about federal spending in their districts. Existing research has focused heavily on “credit claiming,” where legislators highlight their role in bringing new federal funding home. But this is only one part of the story. Legislators also communicate about protecting existing programs from budget cuts and about opposing cuts that harm their constituents. Using an online survey experiment, the authors find that constituents respond positively not only to traditional credit-claiming messages, but also to messages about protecting existing funding and speaking out against funding cuts.

This research broadens the field’s understanding representation in Congress. Legislators do not need to deliver new spending in order to show constituents that they are working on their behalf. They can also gain support by defending existing programs, recognizing local needs, and publicly standing with constituents when their communities face losses. This is especially relevant in periods of budget conflict, administrative cuts, or threats to federal programs, when members of Congress may have to explain not only what they have delivered, but also what they tried to protect and how they responded when cuts occurred.

Link to Article: https://doi.org/10.1177/10659129251388055