Republican members of Congress have been under siege from their constituents since they began returning home to their districts in February. Facing raucous crowds at town hall events, these lawmakers are being forced to defend President Trump’s tweets and policies on everything from Russia and the immigration ban to Obamacare repeal and replace.
Under such circumstances, little of substance can be discussed, and many Republicans are deciding simply not to hold meetings with their constituents. But that isn’t going over so well with the enraged masses, who are finding creative ways to call out the no-shows. Protestors in Ohio recently held a mock funeral for Sen. Rob Portman after he failed to hold any such meetings.
David Valadao, who represents part of California’s Central Valley in Congress, is using a different approach. Instead of meeting with constituents in large gyms or community centers, or not meeting with them at all, he’s been huddling with them in short ten-minute small-group sessions.
By doing so, he’s avoided having to address unruly protestors and hecklers or being shouted down by activists more interested in venting than dialogue, exchange of ideas, or even specific and informed criticism.
The Los Angeles Times summed up the atmosphere at Valadao’s meetings this way: “No shouting. No demonstrators or police. No politician on stage nervously pacing back and forth. And no TV news crews recording it all.”
It’s easier on the congressman, for obvious reasons, and his constituents seem to like it too. “I prefer it, just because it’s more civil,” one constituent who met with Valadao to urge him to support Obamacare repeal efforts, tells the Times. “If you have too many people yelling, no point ever gets across.”
Valadao’s approach is smart. Social science tells is us that when we’re in crowds, we tend to interact with one another differently than when we’re in small groups or in one-on-one settings
In a group, each individual tends to feel less responsibility for their behavior, less duty to act civilly, and that feeling tends to lessen as the size of the group gets larger. That’s why it’s called the “mob mentality.” There is also what is called a diffusion of responsibility, whereby a person is less likely to take responsibility for what’s going on when other people are present. When everyone else is hurling insults at the poor guy up on stage, it’s easier to join in. People rarely behave this way in one-on-one meetings, where we’d feel much more embarrassed about yelling and screaming at someone.
Most people never get to meet with their congressman in one-on-one meetings. They never get to shake his hand, look him in the eye and express their concerns or share their ideas. Valadao is in essence telling his constituents that he respects them enough to meet with them individually and to engage in a dialogue with them.
Valadao met with more than 60 constituents over five hours on one recent evening. His approach may provide a blueprint for Republicans to follow over what’s sure to be four raucous years.
Daniel Allott is deputy commentary editor for the Washington Examiner
