The Changing Impact of Franked Mail on the Budget and Expenditures of Government Officials: An Analysis of 2021 and 2022.
Introduction
In the world of politics, there are many expenses that elected officials must account for, including maintenance, computer hardware, and franked mail. While each of these expenses is important, this post will focus specifically on the topic of franked mail. The aim of this post is to explore the ways in which franked mail has evolved over time and to identify some of the key factors that have contributed to these changes. It will answer the question “What is the impact of franked mail on the budget and expenditures of government officials, and how has this changed over the years 2021 and 2022?”
Data
The data used in this analysis is compiled from the 2021 and 2022 House disbursement file. This file can be found on the Propublica site. It includes information about the expenditures of the U.S. House of Representatives Members, Committees, Leadership, Officers and Offices. It also draws information specifically from the third quarter so from May to September.
Trends
2021 House Data
Graph 1 shows that there is a general trend of increasing franked mail spending over the course of 2021, with some fluctuations throughout the year. There is a sharp increase in spending near the end of 2021, around December 31st. However, there are several gaps in the data, which may account for some of the dips in spending shown on certain days and the data might not be shown accurately because of this.
We can see this represented another way by using a bar graph instead. (Refer to Graph 2) Here, we can see that representatives spent more money on franked mail towards the end of 2021, with a sharp increase in spending around December 31st. This may be due to end-of-year expenses or other factors that may have driven up the demand for franked mail during this time.We can also see a general trend of increasing franked mail spending over 2021 with fluctuations throughout the year. This may suggest that franked mail remains an important communication channel for representatives and their constituents, despite the rise of digital communication. The graph also highlights the impact of missing data on the accuracy of the analysis. There are several gaps in the data, which may affect the overall picture of franked mail spending by representatives in 2021.
2022 House Data
Graph 3 shows the trend of franked mail spending across all representatives in 2021. We can see how there is a sharp increase in spending near the end of 2021 around December 31st. One thing to note however is that a lot of dates are missing from the data and not every single day is shown hence why this might show a lot of dips on certain days.
We can see this represented another way by using a bar graph. There was a gradual increase in franked mail spending by representatives from January to March, with some fluctuations in between. In particular, there was a noticeable increase in spending in late March, which may suggest that representatives were trying to spend their remaining funds before the end of the fiscal quarter. The graph also shows that there were missing data points for the rest of the year, which means we cannot draw any conclusions about the overall trend of franked mail spending for the entire year. The missing data points may also explain the dips in spending on certain days during the observed period. Finally, the graph suggests that franked mail remains an important communication channel for representatives and their constituents, even in the digital age. However, we cannot determine if this trend continued throughout the year based on the available data.
Conclusion
In conclusion, franked mail remains an important and necessary expense for government officials. While advances in technology and communication methods have had an impact on the use of franked mail, it continues to be a convenient and effective tool for politicians to communicate with their citizens. The consistent use of franked mail amounts over the years 2021 and 2022 suggests that elected officials continue to rely on this form of communication to serve their constituents. However, it is important for politicians to balance the convenience of franked mail with the need to manage public resources responsibly. As such, it may be necessary for elected officials to explore alternative communication methods and to adapt to changing circumstances in order to maximize their impact and minimize their expenses. Ultimately, the use of franked mail must be evaluated in the context of broader efforts to provide effective representation and uphold principles of financial accountability.
