Fenno's paradox

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Fenno's paradox is the belief that people generally disapprove of the United States Congress as a whole, but support the congressmen from their own congressional districts. It is named after political scientist Richard Fenno, who discussed this in his 1978 book Home Style: House Members in Their Districts.[1] Fenno discovered that congressmen would often run against Congress.[2]

"Fenno's paradox" has also been applied to areas other than politics including public schools. For example, U.S. citizens hate the public school system but like the school with which their children interact.

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Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Kaplan, Johnathan E. "Reynolds casts aside six-year itch, counts on Fenno's Paradox". Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  2. ^ The Evolution of Political Knowledge: Theory and inquiry in American Politics, Volume 1 By Edward D. Mansfield, Richard Sisson