The Institutional and Policy Dilemmas of Congress
The Institutional Dilemma
Individual members of Congress are willing to tear down the institution's reputation in order to secure partisan or personal advantage, and unwilling to pay the costs of institutional maintenance.
The Policy Dilemma
Individual members are driven to push for legislation that benefits the interests of their local constituencies, which may not be consistent with the interests of the nation as a whole.
Adapted from: Mayer, Kenneth R. and David T. Canon. (1999) The Dysfunctional Congress? The Individual Roots of an Institutional Dilemma. Boulder, CO; Westview