{"product_id":"the-impression-of-influence-justin-grimmer-9780691162621","title":"The Impression of Influence: Legislator Communication, Representation, and Democratic Accountability","description":"\u003cp\u003eConstituents often fail to hold their representatives accountable for federal spending decisions--even though those very choices have a pervasive influence on American life. Why does this happen? Breaking new ground in the study of representation, \u003ci\u003eThe Impression of Influence\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates how legislators skillfully inform constituents with strategic communication and how this facilitates or undermines accountability. Using a massive collection of Congressional texts and innovative experiments and methods, the book shows how legislators create an impression of influence through credit claiming messages. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAnticipating constituents' reactions, legislators claim credit for programs that elicit a positive response, making constituents believe their legislator is effectively representing their district. This spurs legislators to create and defend projects popular with their constituents. Yet legislators claim credit for much more--they announce projects long before they begin, deceptively imply they deserve credit for expenditures they had little role in securing, and boast about minuscule projects. Unfortunately, legislators get away with seeking credit broadly because constituents evaluate the actions that are reported, rather than the size of the expenditures. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Impression of Influence\u003c\/i\u003e raises critical questions about how citizens hold their political representatives accountable and when deception is allowable in a democracy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Justin Grimmer, Sean J. Westwood, Solomon Messing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 069116262X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780691162621\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/23\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.60lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.20h x 6.10w x 0.50d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/01\/2015 pg. 1593","brand":"Justin Grimmer","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43925621833983,"sku":"9780691162621","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_f545d2b2-a9d4-4651-9e77-61d21e8f0dcc.jpg?v=1681078361","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-impression-of-influence-justin-grimmer-9780691162621","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}