About the Book
What is a political representative's job, really? Are they supposed to simply figure out what "the people" want and deliver it, or are they charged to do what they think is best for their constituents -- even if that means sometimes ignoring those constituents' wishes? In Representing Red and Blue, David Barker and Christopher Carman explore what people think about this question, why their answers vary, and what difference it
makes. They observe that the citizens of "Red America" -- religious and cultural traditionalists, including most Republicans -- often prefer lawmakers who challenge public opinion, whereas "Blue Americans," or culturally progressive
Democrats, typically prefer lawmakers who follow it. What is more, these preferences filter up: lawmakers who represent progressive locales tend to pursue the policies their constituents want, whereas representatives of more traditionalistic places often behave quite differently, leaning decidedly to the Right of even most Red American voters. The fundamental reason underlying these patterns, Barker and Carman argue, is that on average, traditionalists and progressives simply do not hold the
values of liberal popular democracy in equally high esteem. What all of this means is that the citizens of Red America live in a different kind of democracy than that of the citizens of Blue America --
one where they have less political say over what their government does, but one that seems to suit their tastes all the same.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Chapter 1 Introduction: Saddling the Drunken Mule
Part I: The Demand Side of Political Representation
Chapter 2 How Do We Want to be Represented? How Do We Differ?
Chapter 3 Theory: Cultural Warfare and Styles of Representation in the US
Chapter 4 Mapping the Cultural and Partisan Divide in Representation Preferences
Part II: The Fine Art of Pandering
Chapter 5 Representation Styles, Candidate Cues, and the Voting Booth
Chapter 6 Constituent Perceptions of Representation Styles and Democratic Accountability
Chapter 7 Red Representation, Blue Representation
Chapter 8 Conclusion: Quieting the Stable, Polarizing the Ranch
Appendices
About the Author :
David C. Barker is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh and Director Designate of the Institute of Social Research at California State University - Sacramento. Since receiving his PhD from the University of Houston in 1998, he has authored dozens of scholarly journal articles on the subjects of public opinion and electoral politics. His previous book, Rushed to Judgment? Talk Radio, Persuasion, and American Political
Behavior (Columbia University Press, 2002)), was nominated for several awards.
Christopher Jan Carman is Senior Research Lecturer in Government at the University of Strathclyde. He received his PhD from the University of Houston in 2000. He is also a co-author of Elections and Voters in Britain, 3rd ed. (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012). He has served as a consultant for the Scottish Parliament and a psephologist for BBC News.
Review :
"This engaging and important book shows how our current state of ideologically charged and vehement partisan conflict challenges the fundamentals of American democracy. This struggle has changed the balance in which both parties have been - or are thought to be - equally responsive and accountable to majority opinion, in balancing the need to pursue their principled policy goals and the need to respond to the wishes of voters in order to be (re)elected. Readers
will debate and want to pay close attention to whether the Republican party today, dominated by its culturally conservative wing, has in fact become too principled and rigid, and whether the
Democratic party, by comparison, is indeed the more 'democratic' party." -- Robert Y. Shapiro, Professor of Political Science, Columbia University
"Anyone interested in how democratic representation works must read this book - it is among the best books written on representation in decades." -- James N. Druckman, Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science and Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University
"Barker and Carman are talented political scientists. In their remarkable treatment of what divides Americans today, they have managed to make the concept of representation interesting. By using colorful metaphor and tying representation to important contemporary concerns like polarization, this book succeeds where others like it do not. Professional scholars and those with a keen political interest will find Barker and Carman's argument equal parts important
and compelling." -- Marc J. Hetherington, Professor of Political Science, Vanderbilt University
"This book provides one of the most innovative pieces of scholarship on the topic of representation in recent years. Barker and Carman provide an interesting new way of looking at long standing discussion over 'delegate' and 'trustee' models of representation. Part of their argument is that 'Reds' and 'Blues' in America's 'Culture Wars' differ not only over what politics is about but also over how politics should be conducted: 'Blues' prefer delegates, 'Reds'
prefer trustees. Barker and Carman demonstrate the persistence of these differences in preferences, and furthermore, develop an explanation for those differences. Readers will find lots of food for
thought on the broader topic of representation." -- Shaun Bowler, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Riverside
"Although research methods and statistical results abound, Representing Red and Blue
is nevertheless very readable and engaging. The authors carefully explain their analyses and
also take great care to discuss limitations and concerns. This is a book that should appeal to a wide audience of political scientists, political psychologists, and anyone interested in politics and/or religion in America today.
As a social psychologist interested in political ideology and behavior, I found much food for
thought in Barker and Carman's research. The authors were successful in persuading me that traditionalists and progressives do differ in their preferences regarding political
representation..." -- Ronnie Janoff-Bulman, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, PsycCRITIQUES
"The central thesis of Barker (Univ. of Pittsburgh) and Carman (Univ. of Strathclyde, UK) is that culturally conservative constituents of members of the House of Representatives desire more trustee representation, in which representatives stand on principleEL Summing up: Recommended. Upper division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections." -- J. Heyrman, Berea College, CHOICE
