It used to be taken as read that a member of Congress would vote the way the folks back home told them to. The lure of pork-barrel politics and of earmarking - supporting a bill in return for federal funds - perpetuated the idea that all that drove members of Congress was re-election. Yet with earmark reform and the continued corrosiveness of gerrymandering, satisfying constituents became less essential. Instead, the greatest concern to members of the House of Representatives now comes from the threat of a primary challenge. Thus, the need to satisfy the party and to brandish ideological credentials has usurped constituent pressure as the most important factor in how a politician casts their vote. (PAPER 3)

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