Clarifying nicknames and name suffixes for legislators

[konklone]

In the Sunlight Congress API, legislators have both a first_name and a nickname, for when their legal name and the name they go by differs. There is also a name_suffix, for Jr. and III and similar.

The Pro Publica API doesn't have those fields. Could you clarify:

• It looks like name suffixes will be contained in last name fields -- is that right?
• Does the first_name field always contain the name the legislator goes by, even if it's not their legal first name? Is there some other rule?

[dwillis]

To clarify:

• Name suffixes are in the last_name fields.
• We do try and make first_name what the lawmaker goes by, with some exceptions: if the lawmaker uses his or her middle name as a first name, we still put the middle name in middle_name.

[konklone]

• We do try and make first_name what the lawmaker goes by, with some exceptions: if the lawmaker uses his or her middle name as a first name, we still put the middle name in middle_name.

Yeah, I recall that being a common case. Do you have suggested client logic to reliably display the name the lawmaker goes by? I assume that in most middle_name cases, it's not the name they go by, and so you can't just always pick the middle_name field.

[dwillis]

We could add a display_name field - a similar thing appears in some responses - and standardize on that?

[konklone]

That would work! I noticed that in other responses, and that would do just fine.