Podcast: Democracy: The voters verdict

In the final weeks before Election Day, voters have been pressing candidates on the economy, health care, and foreign policy. But a representative's job goes well beyond the votes they cast and the questions they ask in committee. When a veteran's disability claim stalls, a retiree's Social Security payment stops without explanation, or a family is days from an international trip with no passport, the last-ditch call often goes to a congressional office. The First Amendment guarantees Americans the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and legislative casework is part of how Congressional offices resolve those grievances today.

That work has deep historical roots in our politics, and is one of the few things that every single Member of Congress has in common, from both sides of the aisle. But casework is a tradition, not a requirement, so every office handles it differently.