Select a member of Congress and research his/her most recent campaign. How does this member seem to balance national law-making duties with local representation and attention to constituents? Is this member a good representative of his/her district?

What will be an ideal response?

Students should use a variety of sources to identify major legislative and/or leadership accomplishments of the member, as well as activities that are more district-focused such as attention to local issues or constituency service. They should examine campaign materials to see where the member (and his/her challenger, if any) focuses the attention of voters. In assessing whether the representative is “good,” the student should define relevant criteria for evaluating a representative and then present evidence relevant to this criteria.