DELEGATE OR STEWARD
Elizabeth A. Sheppard
Mississippi State University – American Government
November 5, 2015
DELEGATE OR STEWARD
In the legislative branch, our elected official’s primary function is to represent his or her district or state from which he or she is elected to represent. For a Congressperson to represent as a Delegate, he or she votes in congress as if we were able to vote. To represent as a Steward, he or she represents the votes for the best interest of his or her constituents as a whole. In my opinion it is best for our legislators to use a blend of the two depending on the legislation being discussed and ultimately be voting on.
An example of Delegate representation is an elected official voting to cut funding to a particular program in order to balance the budget. A senator or representative might be force to cut or reduce funding to a certain entitlement program in order to balance the budget. This decision might not be a popular vote but it could be required to reduce and control government spending.
Another example of Delegate representation is an elected official voting to keep open a military base that is located in the same district or state he or she represents. In our state, a senator or representative would vote to keep Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi open in the face of defense spending budget cuts because of the revenue it brings to the local economy.
House of Representatives vs. Senate
Despite both being included under the Legislative Branch of the United States Government, the House and Senate are different in many ways. The structure between the two chambers is different. The House has 435 members elected to two year terms while the Senate has 100 members elected for six year terms. The House is led by the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan; the Majority Leader is Kevin McCarthy, and the Minority Leader is Nancy Pelosi. The President of the Senate is the Vice President of the United...