Mark Udall, political science, election process, constituancey, qoutes from Richard F Fenno, Jr.s 'The American Political Science Review.

Essay by gems4friendsUniversity, Bachelor'sA-, December 2003

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Deena Cimmet

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4/10/2003

Based on Richard F Fenno, Jr.s 'The American Political Science Review,' congressmen base their presentation of self through their perception of their district constituency, "...The constituency a representative reacts to is the constituency he or she sees (Fenno, 883)." Once the congressman can understand the particulars of specific towns in their district, he can then begin to shape his presentation of self, and form the bonds of trust with their constituents which are central in building a stable, supportive, re-elective constituent relationship. Mr. Udall is able to zero in on the 2nd district with ease, leaving lasting impressions of qualification, identification, and empathy. According to Fenno, these impressions are key factors in establishing a positive presentation of self. Before examining Mr. Udalls presentation of self, it is necessary to understand his perception of his district constituency, "The corollary assumption is that the rest of us cannot understand the representative-constituency relationship until we can see the constituency through the eyes of the representative (Fenno, 883).

Primarily it is important to explore the facts about Colorado's 2nd District, after all this is what Mr. Udall may focus on while building his presentation of self. "The 2nd, District includes all of Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit, Grand, Eagle, and Boulder Counties and portions of Jefferson, Weld, and Adams Counties (http://wwwa.house.gov/markudall/district.htm)." More specifically it is important to examine several variables that encompass the regions of The 2nd District:"The Area: 1,530 sq. mi. Population: 549,072. Voting Age 407,402. Cities: Arvada, Boulder, Longmont, Thornton (59%), Westminster (98%). Urbanization: Urban 87%, Rural 8%, Suburban 5%. Minorities: Hisp 9%, Other 3%, Asian 2%, Black 1%, Amer Ind 1%. Immigration: Born 96%, Naturalized 2%, Alien 2%. Housing: Own 70%, Rent 30%, Homeless <.1%.Education: HS grad 87%, Coll grad 26%, Post grad 9%. Labor Force: Wh-Collar...