<P> A major role for members of Congress is providing services to constituents . Constituents request assistance with problems . Providing services helps members of Congress win votes and elections and can make a difference in close races . Congressional staff can help citizens navigate government bureaucracies . One academic described the complex intertwined relation between lawmakers and constituents as home style . </P> <P> One way to categorize lawmakers, according to political scientist Richard Fenno, is by their general motivation: </P> <Ol> <Li> Reelection . These are lawmakers who "never met a voter they didn't like" and provide excellent constituent services . </Li> <Li> Good public policy . Legislators who "burnish a reputation for policy expertise and leadership ." </Li> <Li> Power in the chamber . Lawmakers who spend serious time along the "rail of the House floor or in the Senate cloakroom ministering to the needs of their colleagues ." Famous legislator Henry Clay in the mid-19th century was described as an "issue entrepreneur" who looked for issues to serve his ambitions . </Li> </Ol> <Li> Reelection . These are lawmakers who "never met a voter they didn't like" and provide excellent constituent services . </Li>

What's the difference in the house and the senate