In the study of political science there is a fiece debate as to the proper role of congressmen. Some believe Senators and Representatives should act as delegates, merely representing the views of their constituents. Others argue that these men and women are elected because voters trust their judgement and therefore they should simply vote their conscience and fulfill a trustee model. Other political scientists have tried to combine the two views into a compromise called Politico(some people would call this cowardly).
Your questions: What did Edmund Burke say about this topic (refer to your reading)? Second, what is your personal belief? Which is the proper role for members of Congress: trustee, delegate, or politico? Justify and support your answer.
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21 comments:
Burke said that the congressmen should follow the will of the people. I think he is right because that is kind of their job. It's important to give the people what they want but good to trust your own opinion. So, i think the political scientists should just make it politico because it helps make everyone happy. It's important to make the people happy but it's good to trust your own opinion.
Edmund Burke stated that the representatives should put the interests and wishes of the people before his own when he stated, “their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion high respect; their business unremitted attention and to prefer their interests to his own." As well as respecting the people's opinions, he stated that they must also follow their own judgment when representing the people. In the end, they are the ones making the final decisions so of course their judgment is important. However, I also believe the people should come first as well because we live in a democratic society which means we are governed by the people. The proper role of Senators and Representatives are trustees. The people elect a certain person based on what they say they will do and what they stand for in the campaign. So the voters trust that they will follow through with this and do what the people want them to because they are representing them.
Rachel S.
Edmund Burke believed that a representative should put the will of the people and their ideas before his/her own. Representatives should consider the opinions of the people even though they are the ones who are to make the decisions. Burke stated that "your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays you, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion." The representative will have the final decision therefore their opinions matter most. Representatives should definitley consider the views of the people when deciding their stance on issues. The peoples' views should have just as much of an influence on the final decisions as the representatives. Representatives would do best to be politcos. They would be taking into account the opinion of the people as well as their own opinion and hopefully coming to a compromise between the two.
Burke states that we should respect everyone's opinion. Your opinion is very important."Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion high respect; their business unremitted attention." Listen to what everyone around you has to say, you might just learn something.
Stephanie L.
Chantel R.
Burke said that the people are the most important and that the Representatives are to follow the opinions of the people. But he says that the representative must not sacrifice his opinion to the people. Nobody can take away a persons opinion not even the people who represent the people. If he betrays the trust of the people then he sacrifices his opinion to the people he stated, "Your Representative owes you... and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion." I agree in this case that the Representative is protecting the peoples opinions and yet not losing his opinion.
Edmund Burke said “their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion high respect; their business unremitted attention and to prefer their interests to his own." i agree with Mr. Burke. i think that the representitives should represent the views of the people. this makes sense to me because the people are the ones that elected them and they should do what the people would want.
I believe that Burke is saying that the representatives shoul be politicos. He states this by saying "Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion high respect; their bu unremitted attention."But at the end of this same paragraph he later states, "Your Representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you,if he sacrifices it to your opinion." Which means that though your opinion matters he should NOT give up his opinion to represent you and make the best choice.
Burke is saying that for your representive to do a good job he must not be held back by his constituints opians but argue his own points as well. Me, i agree because if you only listen to your constituents and not them and your own thoughts then you are a puppet with out a soul
Eli J the Twilightwokkie
I believe members of congress should have a close relationship with their constituents. Edmund Burke says in the article "It is his duty to sacrifice his repose, his pleasures, his satisfactions, to theirs;" Burke means that representatives should represent the people the way they want, even if that means going against what he/she believes. Burke also talks about representatives having an unbiased opinion. I agree because a representative should not vote the way he/she wants, but the way his/her constituents want. The unbiased opinion comes from viting how the people feel. The representative should not favor one opinion in the public over another. The constituents should always come first.
I belive that Congress should vote whats best for the people and for the country. When the
Congress members vote with thier party, they sometimes over look the peoples interest. Voting with their party usually helps them to get reelected in the next election. Voting against the party might put that person on bad terms with the party. Bruke stated "..to argue for, though contrary to the clearest conviction of his ." Congressmen should not consider their views but again do whats right for the people. If the majority of the people want in one way, the COngressmen should respect that and vote in favor of the people instead of voting in their belifs.
Edmund Burk pointed out that great Representatives should take in the people's opinion happily that, "Their wishes ought to have great weight with him;..." He will only gain satisfaction from their own. Burk also states "To deliver an opinion, is the right of all men; that of Constituents is a weighty and respectable opinion, which a Representative ought always to rejoice to hear; and which he ought always most seriously to consider." In the long run, listening to what the people want, will only benefit to one's self. Not only will the people be happy, but the Representative. Futhermore, taking this into consideration, the Government, even though powerful, is not as powerful as the people.
Burke states that not only should representatives live in the "strictest union, the closest correspondence, and the most unreserved communication with his constituents," but it ought to be his / her happiness and glory to do so. Burke's view is that the representatives must be delegates, because they owe it to the people. While I can see the good coming from his viewpoint, I personally believe that we, as voters, have played our part already. We voted them in, so we obviously trust in the representatives enough to respect their decisions. Having said this, I believe in Politico - and while some say that is cowardly, I disagree. Both parts are equally important. The representative cannot become a representative without the voters, and the voter's opinions will never go anywhere without the representative's help.
I believe Edmund Burke was correct when he stated that the representatives (chosen by the people) should put the interest of the people there represent before their own. I agree with Rachel Sams, in choosing the quote "their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion high respect; their business unremitted attention. it is his duty to sacrifice his repose, his pleasures, his satisfactions, to theirs; and, above all, ever, and in all cases, to prefer their interest to his own." The reason i chose this quote is, Burke is revealing that he believes that a representative should perform the role of a trustee; who puts the opinions and thoughts of the constituents above their own. The people are represented for a reason, to be heard, which is what the representatives are used for. Hence the word represent, the representatives are supposed to let the voice of their constituents be heard.
-LeeAnn L
My opinion over what role or relationship members of Congress should have with their constituents is a strong and devoted tie between them. It is the Representatives job to be the voice of the people. When you are the voice of the people then you should say and do what the people want no matter what the Representatives opinions are. Edmund Burke said " It is his duty to sacrifice his repose, his pleasures, his satisfacactions, to theirs; and, above all, ever, and in all cases, to prefer their interest to his own." It is good that Representatives have their own base to stand on, and that is how they get elected by the people on what they promise they will do if elected. If then elected the Representative then should be responsible to carry out what he/she has promised to his/her people. As Burke also stated "Your Representative owes you, not his industry only, but his his judgment."
I belive the Representatives and Senators job is to be a Trustee. Though there needs to be a balance of the Representatives opinions and the peoples wants, the people's voice should always come out on top. It is a free society where everyone's voice is to be heared and it is the Representatives job to speak for these voices. Burke proves in his days of representing his people that when he chose his opinion over that of his constituents on surtain issues it caused his constituents to become mad and not support him for the next re-election of 1780. The people may be wrong on issues and their Representatives opnions right but it is representatives job to represent their peoples opinions and not their own.
Edmund Burke said that a man should not have to answer to anyone but himself. This is represented by the quote "But, his unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you; to any man, or to any set of men living." Burke also says that the representatives opinion matter as well because they make the final decisions. I kind of agree with Burke, we should be able to make our own decisions but only up until a certain limit. Every person has a right to express their opinion and if people don't want to hear it then they can just walk away. I think that representatives and senators are trustees. They represent the people that voted for them, they pay attention to what they think the people want instead of what their political party leader expects of them. They listen to their party leader but they don't have to vote for what they are told to do.
Burke said that a Representative should not have to sacrifice his total opinion to the people when he said, “But, his unbiased opinion….he ought not to sacrifice to you…” I believe that the Representative should, first, consider what the people want. The people are the ones that voted them into the position so he/she should respect there opinion. Secondly, they should think about their own opinion as well. The representatives have the final decision so there opinion is important to the people. In conclusion, the people should have faith in there representatives and trust that they will make the right judgments.
Edmund Burke said that a representative should put the views and opinions of the people before their own.A congressman must take into consideration what their constituents would want, but also use their own personal views to help make decisions. He also says, "your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays you, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion." To me, it comes down to what the people want,unlike what Burke states in the previous quote. A representative is there to represent the people, not to force their own personal beliefs on the countless number of people they are standing in place of. If a congressman wishes to vote any other way than what his constiuents would want, then they are not representing the very people who put them in that elevated position,and to me,that is betraying the trust of the people.
Burke said that the people of congress should obey the will of the population. They should agree with the people that voted for them to become part of congress. The important thing is to please the people who put you in that position. The people voted for you because you had the same ideals and oppinions. You should follow those ideals untill you are out of Congress or the situtation changes and the peoples ideals change.
Burke's speech about constituents includes the quote; "Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion in high respect..." Through this message he is trying to convey that no one can possibly represent any number of people without seriously considering their veiws over yours. If one is taking part in a democracy then one needs to realize that the people of our nation make every decision. This prevents most chaos, thus placing Senators and Representatives in the trustee role will let the people decide together who will best make decisions based on the views of thepeople.Not the views of himself.
CodyG.
Burke believes that, ultimately, the Congressmen should make decisions based on their own judgement. He says it is important to listen to the opinions of the people, but in the end people should trust their representative with whatever decision he or she makes. I believe that the role of Representatives and Senators is to represent the people. The opinions of the people should come first because we live in a democracy. A Congressman can try to convince their constituents to agree with him, but he should not make a decision simply because he thinks it is a good idea. I agree with Burke's statement that, "Their wishes ought to have great weight on him; their opinion high respect..."
Tiffany C.
Burke said that representatives should be devoted to the people. He states that "it is his(the representative's) duty to sacrifice his repose,his pleasures,his satisfactions,to theirs(the people)."It is important to hear-out what the people are saying. The sacrifices congressmen have to make must be done to achieve this. We live in a democracy, the peoples' voice should be the most important. However representatives are needed to make the ultimate decision that will be the best for the people. If representatives were politicos they could create a compromise between the people and themselves. This would make it easier to satisfy the majority of people and the representative too.
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