Scott Gordon Perry as the US Congress Representative for Harrisburg PA (Essay Sample)

GP 201 – Intro to American Government
Congress Assignment
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Most of these questions can be answered at www.vote-smart.org. Other useful links are listed at the bottom of the page. Be as specific as you can with the answers. Don’t just say he won his last election. That is not good enough. You may not be able to find all the information you need—find what you can, and bring in to class additional information that you find interesting.
When you come into class you should be able to discuss who your representative is, what they do, and how they represent your district. This assignment is due November 16, 2021.
1. What is the name of your hometown U.S. Representative, their state, district, and party? (For example, if you live in Lancaster, PA, do the representative for Lancaster, not Harrisburg, PA.) I live in the Harrisburg area!
2. When was he/she first elected?
3. What did he/she do before entering Congress?
4. What committees does he/she serve on? Any ideas as to why he is on these committees?
5. Does he hold any leadership positions? (Committee chair, party leader, etc.)
6. What was the last bill (or bills) that he introduced? Any idea as to why?
7. When was the last time (or fairly recent time) he spoke on the floor? Perhaps he hasn't spoken at all. What did he say (please, in a few sentences--they say a lot).
8. How do different interest groups feel about how he votes on the floor? Find a few interest group scores, and summarize his voting.
9. Does he tend to support the party when voting (party line voting)? Why, or why not?
10. What is his constituency like? How would you describe it?
11. Who gives him money? Why?
12. How did his last election go? Any idea why he won?
Other Places to Find Information
● Your congressman’s website
● Your congressman’s office – I always encourage you to call his or her office and ask for any information that you cannot find on your own. If you do call, let me know. I want you to talk about your experiences with his office. However, do not call and ask for answers for all of the questions. That is inconsiderate and unprofessional.
● The Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov
● The House of Representatives http://www.house.gov
● The Almanac of American Politics (check in library)