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E-Democracy: Legislative-Constituent Communications in Minnesota and Wisconsin
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represented by legislators in the two states and in the two chambers of each state’s
legislative body.
5
When number of constituents per legislative district is controlled for,
the differences in the number of e-mails and office visits between Minnesota and
Wisconsin legislators are even greater (chart 3). In addition, it becomes clear that
Minnesota legislators receive more phone calls per 10,000 constituents during an average
week of the legislative session than do Wisconsin legislators. There are also striking
differences between the upper and lower chambers in each state, with legislators in the
lower chambers of each state (the Wisconsin State Assembly and Minnesota House of
Representatives) receiving more phone calls and more e-mails per constituent than the
state senators in their respective states.
5
To calculate an estimate of constituents per district, Wisconsin’s total population according to the 2000
census (5,363,675) was divided by its 33 state senate districts, and alternatively by its 99 state assembly districts. The result was 162,535 constituents in each of Wisconsin’s state senate districts and 54,178 constituents in each of Wisconsin’s state assembly districts. The same calculations were done for Minnesota’s 4,919,479 total population resulting in estimates of 73,425 constituents in each of its 67 state senate districts and 36,712 constituents in each of its 134 state house districts. Note: In 2002, legislators in both Minnesota and Wisconsin represented districts that had been drawn based on the 1990 census. By 2002 population shifts meant that some districts had become larger and others smaller. Since this survey was anonymous, there was no way to determine the actual number of constituents each respondent had in their district. However, the calculation for average number of constituents described above is still a reasonable one. For example, if the 2000 census population of each Minnesota house district were added together and then divided by 134, the result would have been the same as in our calculation.
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| | Authors: Alperin, Davida. and Schultz, David. |
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18
represented by legislators in the two states and in the two chambers of each state’s
legislative body.
5
When number of constituents per legislative district is controlled for,
the differences in the number of e-mails and office visits between Minnesota and
Wisconsin legislators are even greater (chart 3). In addition, it becomes clear that
Minnesota legislators receive more phone calls per 10,000 constituents during an average
week of the legislative session than do Wisconsin legislators. There are also striking
differences between the upper and lower chambers in each state, with legislators in the
lower chambers of each state (the Wisconsin State Assembly and Minnesota House of
Representatives) receiving more phone calls and more e-mails per constituent than the
state senators in their respective states.
5
To calculate an estimate of constituents per district, Wisconsin’s total population according to the 2000
census (5,363,675) was divided by its 33 state senate districts, and alternatively by its 99 state assembly
districts. The result was 162,535 constituents in each of Wisconsin’s state senate districts and 54,178
constituents in each of Wisconsin’s state assembly districts. The same calculations were done for
Minnesota’s 4,919,479 total population resulting in estimates of 73,425 constituents in each of its 67 state
senate districts and 36,712 constituents in each of its 134 state house districts. Note: In 2002, legislators in
both Minnesota and Wisconsin represented districts that had been drawn based on the 1990 census. By
2002 population shifts meant that some districts had become larger and others smaller. Since this survey
was anonymous, there was no way to determine the actual number of constituents each respondent had in
their district. However, the calculation for average number of constituents described above is still a
reasonable one. For example, if the 2000 census population of each Minnesota house district were added
together and then divided by 134, the result would have been the same as in our calculation.
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