Chapter 11- Congress:
(1). Examine the bicameral
structure Congress, & discuss turnover & reapportionment.
(2). Outline how
Congress has evolved and changed
since its creation, and the role of:
standing
committees, seniority rule, and subcommittees.
(3). Discuss
Congressional elections and the advantages enjoyed by incumbents, to include: single
member districts, redistricting,
gerrymandering, home style,
case work, franking, campaign fund raising, party identification & name
recognition.
(4). Explain election
outcomes when incumbents do lose and the reason given, to include:
(5). Analyze the demographic
profile of who serves in Congress, and contrast descriptive representation
with that of political representation.
(6). Discuss the workload
of Congress and assess potential conflicts of interests.
(7). Examine Congress as
an organization, and the role of political
parties & leadership, to
include: caucus, conservative coalition, conference & select committees,
& key staffs.
(8). Examine the
legislative process, and outline
how bills become laws (see Fig. 11-8).
(9). Identify & define
key relevant terms used by
Congress during the legislative
process
(10). Discuss the
potential conflict between personal versus
constituent policy preferences.
(11). Contrast the various kinds of policy
oversight conducted by Congress.
(12). Analyze the different theories of delegate
and trustee
representation in Congress.
(13). Assess the political
effectiveness of Congress and its prospects for the future.
v 11-1 The Structure of Congress:
§ 11-1a Bicameralism
· Concurrent
majority to pass legislation
· Favors status quo=> gridlock
§ 11-1b
The House
of Representatives
· Turnover =>
terms of office?
¨ Theoretical
impact => more responsive
¨ Closer
to mood of the people
· Reapportionment (every
10 years)
¨ (only
applies to House? Why?)
§ 11-1c The Senate
· Make up
& term limit
· Less
responsive – why?
· 17th
Amendment
v 11-2
The Evolution of Congress – Historic
overview:
§ Broad
Constitutional guidance (Article I)
· Both
Chambers determine own rules
§ 11-2a Changing
Attitudes Toward Service in Congress:
· Early
attitudes towards service?
¨ Interest
centered in State & Rotation =>
Ø High
turnover => impact? (Henry Clay)
§ 11-2b Change
in the House
· Shift=>
Congress viewed more & more as career
¨ Social & economic change=>
¨ Industrialization, urbanization,
immigration
· More civil
behavior=> no personal attacks
· Power
of Speaker & role of standing committee
¨ Assignments
controlled by Speaker ‘till 20th cent.
· 1910 revolt &
impact of seniority rule
· Change
in 1970s-1980s
¨ Revolt
against committee chairs (Democrats)
Ø Rise of
subcommittees
Ø Decentralization of
power=> impact?
§ Gridlock
on the national budget=> reform
¨ Re-centralization of
power=> Speaker
Ø Tempered
by memory of 1910 revolt
Ø Majority
party leadership stronger
Ø Rank & file still
retained final veto power
· 1995
GOP changes under Newt Gingrich
¨ Power concentrated in the Speaker
Ø Control
of Committee assignments
¨ Impact
of 1998 midterm elections
Ø “The more things change…”
§ 11-2c Change
in the Senate
· Less
visible change than in House
· Less
equals more (freedom to debate)
· Dominant
senior leadership t ‘till 1970 reforms
¨ Elite
men’s club with apprenticeship period
· New
Rules of 1970s => decentralization
¨ Individual junior Senators more active
¨ Result:
power in Senate dispersed
· Senate
rule changes require 2/3 votes => impact?
¨ (House
rule changes require how many votes?)
v 11-3 Getting & Staying There—Congressional
Elections
§ 11-3a Incumbents
and Reelection:
· Overwhelming
prospects for reelection (Figure 11-1)
¨ House
incumbents –average 92%+ vs. Senate – 78%
· Key
questions:
¨ Why do incumbents who run usually win?
¨ Why do House incumbents do better than
Senate?
§ 11-3b
The Election
Setting:
· Single-member
districts =>
¨ Reps
likely to share views of constituent majority
· Redistricting
Maps drawn
to favor incumbents
¨ Various
options shown by Figure 11-2
· Gerrymandering – Figure 11-3
¨ State legislature
draws the district map
Ø Majority
always tries to maintain advantage
¨ Gerrymandering => Political versus racial
Ø
Ø One person one vote
criteria vs. racial factors
· Districts versus States
¨ Homogeneous
voters of districts vs. that of State
Ø
Ø Impact
on House vs. Senate reelections?
§ 11-3c
The Incumbents’
Advantages:
· Home
style presentation to constituents (voters)
· Advantage of Responsibility (of the
office)
¨ Bringing
home the pork to one’s State or
district
¨ Supporting
popular views of their constituents
¨ Free
advertisement of incumbent’s official activities
Ø Local
media reporting of Congress press
releases
· Resources of Office:
¨ Constituent
service – staff
responsive to voters
Ø Who is
helped voter likely to vote for in future?
¨ Franking
privilege (Newsletters-
Figure 11-4)
¨ $$$ to return home on
weekends=> direct meetings
· Campaign Money- contributors
go with winners
¨ (who is
most likely to win?)
¨ Incumbency status
makes raising $ easier (Fig 11-5)
· Name Recognition- ultimate
advantage of incumbent
¨ Voters
vote for who they know & like
¨ Even
though may dislike Congress-they like their rep
§ 11-3d
The Challengers’
Disadvantages:
· (reverse
of all of the above)
§ 11-3e Voters
and Election Outcomes
· So…when
do incumbents lose?
¨ Lose touch with
constituents (perception)
Ø “
¨ scandal
¨ Midterm
elections- unpopular
president
Ø Voters send a message to
party in power
Ø Senators
especially vulnerable
¨ Divided
government - rising trend
Ø Dealignment influences?
v 11-4 Serving in Congress
§ 11-4a Who
Serves? (typical member profile?)
· Descriptive vs. policy/political
representation
· Figure 11-6 & Table 11-2
§ 11-4b Congress
as a Job
· High
socio-economic status
¨ $162K+
percs, power, meaningful, fulfilling work
· Cost?
=> Time & family sacrifice (schedule: Fig 11-7)
§ 11-4c Congress
and Ethics
· Corruption? (rare cases)
· Conflicts of interest? (sometimes)
· Stricter
rules in recent years
¨ Avoid perception of possible corruption
v 11-5 Congress as an Organization
§ 11-5a Political
Parties in Congress
· Provide
cohesion, direction, and organization
· coordinated party government (across
branches)
· Party
leadership not always followed by members-why?
§ 11-5b Party
Leadership in Congress
· Role of Majority party leadership=>
cohesive policies
¨ Speaker
of the House => (know who it is)
Ø Rules
provide substantial authority
§ Chief parliamentary officer
§ Controls
legislation referred to committee
§ Debate
schedule & member recognition
Ø Informal
powers: favors & information
¨ Speaker’s key assistants:
Ø majority leader (know
who it is)
Ø majority whip – (roles?)
Ø power
& influence? – compel votes?
· Minority leadership in House (know who):
¨ Minority
strategies:
Ø Cooperate
Ø Compete
Ø Obstruct
¨ Strategy
usually selected? (Timing)
· Senate leadership
¨ Senate
Majority Leader (know who he is)
Ø Power
in contrast to Speaker?
§ (Herding cats?)
§ 11-5c Committees
(know key committees)
· Standing
committees (Know key committees)
¨ Most
powerful House Standing committees:
Ø Appropriations, Rules & Ways &
Means
· Select
committees (what are they?)
· Conference
committees (know role)
· House vs. Senate (expert vs. generalists)
§ 11-5d Staff
· Personal staff
(constituent services)
¨ Focus: reelection of member
· Committee staffs (subject
expertise)
¨ Standing & Select committees
¨ Congressional
support agencies:
Ø Congressional Research Service
Ø GAO & Congressional Budget Office
· Staff growth has been significant – why?
¨ Federal government expanding role
¨ Compete with Executive branch
· Power
of staff members? (Sheila Burke)
v 11-6 The Business of Congress
§ 11-6a The
Legislative Process
· Policy initiation (source of policy ideas?)
¨ Co-sponsorship (getting
support)
¨ Member’s
key role – introduce bill
· Committee Process-* How a Bill becomes law: