INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm m aster. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct pnnt, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. u m T Bell & Howell Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE WORKING IN THE ‘GRAY’ AREA OF A “PERMANENT CAMPAIGN”: THE ROUTINE, POLITICAL AND CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT STAFF. A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Stephen Kean Norman, Oklahoma 2001 UMI Number: 9998880 UMI' UMI Microform 9998880 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 © Copyright by Stephen Kean 2001 All R i^ ts Reserved. WORKING IN THE ‘GRAY’ AREA OF A “PERMANENT CAMPAIGN”: THE ROUTINE, POLITICAL AND CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT STAFF. A Dissertation APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE BY Acknowledgements It would not have been possible to complete this dissertation without the love, endurance, passion, creativity and understanding of my one true Mend. Rachel Roller came into my life at the difficult moment that I had decided to finish this work. Thank you for living for the promises of tomorrow. My family, Nick, Ann and Lindsay Kean have also been rocks of support over the past decade. They have been willing to help when needed but they also realized those moments where all 1 needed was a little space. Bruce, Christine, Stacey and Christopher Roller have come to assume that same role over the past two years. The support of two wonderfU families made this process much easier. While Dr. Gary Copeland certainly wrote me off a number of times over the years, he never shared those feelings with me. Rather, he continually urged me to simply push forward. 1 did it! Thanks also to Dr.’s Cox, Hertzke, Russell and Wieder for sticking around Norman long enough to see me finish. Thanks for being there at the end. Dr.’s Michael Jogerst and Jon Hale served as valued Mends and mentors throughout my college experience. Senator Russ Feingold was an inspiration, a Mend and a patron, whose patience and made finishing this dissertation possible. And to all of my Mends over the years, thanks for being there. IV Table of Contents Content Page Number Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents v Abstract xiv Introduction I The Question 1 The Genesis of this Project 2 What this Dissertation offers 5 Methods 9 What’s Next 10 Contents 11 Chapter I: Literature Review 14 Incumbency Advantage 16 What is it? 16 When did wider margins begin to appear? 17 Why did Incumbents become advantaged? 19 Is it because of micro or macro factors? 19 Societal reasons 21 Individual reasons: A “new breed” of Entrepreneurs 27 Institutional Reasons 33 Incumbent resources 36 Incumbents have fear 36 Some incumbents use official resources 40 Time 42 Committees 43 Communication and Earned Media 43 Office Budgets 45 Quirky Collateral Stuff 47 Casework 47 Congressional Staff 50 Staff as a resource 50 Staff are increasingly considered as part of an Enterprise 56 Conclusion 61 2: Research Methods: The Value of Context 63 Research Methods 63 Theory-Building Dissertation 63 Contextually Based 66 Justification 68 Neither Journalists nor Political Science Does context well 69 Gaps in the research 70 Research Methods 72 Sample/Case Selection 73 Some comments about the general process Of research 73 Starting Out 73 Access to Offices 81 Feasibility 86 Data Collection 87 Observations 91 Data Recording and Analysis 95 Rapport 101 Fenno and Access 104 Some final thoughts on starting out 106 4 Primary Case Studies 108 Incumbent A 109 Incumbent B 110 Incumbent C 113 Incumbent D 114 9 Secondary Case Studies 116 Incumbent E: The internship office 116 Incumbents F, G, H and 1 117 Incumbents J and K 121 Incumbents L and M 122 Elite Constituents 124 Who are they? 124 Why they are included 125 How they were selected 126 How they were interviewed 127 Limits to Contextually Based Research 127 What Contextually Based Research Adds 129 The aggregate research lacks clarity 129 Less biased data 131 It improves the discipline’s understanding of stafif 132 What 1 looked for; Concepts, Operationalizations and Questions to ask 134 How I operationalized the concepts 134 Why the House and not the Senate? 13 8 Conclusion 141 VI 3: Who are district staff? 142 Who are district staff? 142 Staff are part of the district enterprise 142 Fuzzy titles 143 The Ranking District of Staff Member (RDSM) 144 F ield Representatives 151 Other district staff 15 8 Hierarchy: How does the enterprise function as an Institution? 167 The DC- District Tension 173 What district staff do: The typologies from the literature 176 The routine activities performed by district staff 179 Provide information to the incumbent 179 Provide information to constituents 182 Mediate with individual constituents (aka casework) 182 What is casework? 183 How does the ‘case’ come to the office? 184 What happens after the casework gets to the Office? “Investigate, Mediate, Advocate” 185 Do all office do the same amount of Casework? 188 Contacting the community/Outreach 189 Represent the incumbent in the field 190 “Listening” for the incumbent/Liaison with commimity groups 192 Where do staff go to “listen”? 194 Project work with groups 196 Advertising the incumbent 198 Incumbent efforts 199 Staff efforts 200 The routine office summarized 202 “Laying the Groundwork” / Building a Reputation 202 Everybody does it to some extent 203 High expectations 203 How to build a reputation 204 How does this reputation work with Constituents? 205 Increased Name Recognition 206 The Aggressive or Proactive Office 207 Aggressive staffs do “more” of the routine activities 208 “Political” work defined 214 Projects 215 Cross-Jurisdictional work 217 Advisories 222 Interaction with elite constituents - elected Officials 224 Vll Surveillance 225 The “gray” area 227 Working on the “relationship” during the Lull 228 The last six months: How staffs assist come Election time 230 Motives of individual district staffers 232 Mixture of motives 232 “Professionals” 232 The Humanitarian 233 The Careerist 234 “Entrepreneurs” 235 “Mixed” motives? 237 Becoming an institution impacts motives 238 Ambition in the Service of Ambition 241 Why individual staff are hired 245 Some staff know the candidates before their first Election 246 The “Circle of People” with campaign or political Connections 247 Some staff hired because they have useful contacts For the incumbents 251 Community Contacts 251 Partisan Contacts 253 They look like their districts 254 Laying the groundwork for themselves 256 Conclusion 256 4: Variation in district staff allocation: Potential variables for future exploration 258 What the literature says about incumbents, variation and The district enterprises 259 Personality 259 Political Factors: Seniority 260 Political Factors: Electoral vulnerability 263 Geography 264 Other relevant literature about staff 265 Potential avenues for future exploration of district staff Differences 268 A potential model of district staff differences 268 The dependent variable 269 Incumbent’s disposition 270 Individual motivation 271 Partisan 271 Personal 275 viu Policy 281 Electoral 285 Conclusion 289 Incumbent’s district philosophy 290 Conclusion 296 Political Factors 297 Seniority 297 Evidence for routinization 297 Increased expectations often a justification 301 An Exception 303 Electoral status 306 Evidence of the “safe” incumbent 307 The “marginal” staff is proactive 309 Exceptions? 312 Conclusion 314 Partisanship 315 Geography 317 Urban-Rural 317 The evidence is mixed 318 An exception: A rural philosophy? 318 Size of district 319 Nature of district 321 Region and Party Strength 325 Demography of incumbent 326 Age/Generational factors 326 Race 328 Gender 328 The staff themselves 328 Other potential variables 333 Institutional/Office experience 333 “Collegiality” of the House 333 House versus Senate 335 Constituents Matter 336 Conclusion 337 5: Protecting the incumbent: Incumbent-staff-elite interaction 338 Literature