Determinants of home style: The many incentives for going home in Colombia

A legislator's behavior in his or her electoral district, "home style," rev eals much about awareness of constituents' wishes and the importance attrib uted to district matters. Legislators who frequently travel home represent their constituents differently than those who do not. In the Latin American country of Colombia, home style is a contentious issue. The country is pla gued by violence and corruption, but the national legislature devotes much of its time to "pork barrel politics." We use data from Colombia, a preside ntial democracy, to test competing explanations of home style, evaluating s everal political factors as determinants of variation in legislators' prope nsity to go home. We find that higher district magnitudes, spatially concen trated vote patterns, failure to solidify electorally dominated bailiwicks, and electoral invulnerability all contribute to a legislator's fixation on district concerns. If needed political reforms are to succeed, reform-mind ed presidents will need allies in the legislature who are relatively less l ikely to focus on district matters.