Chapter 11- Congress

1
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, 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 Potomac
  fever, scandal, midterm election messages
  desire for divided government.
• (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.

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The Structure of Congress

• What kind of structure does Congress have?
• ?__________________ legislature
• What does that mean?

3
Bicameral Legislature
A legislature with two housessuch as
House of Represen-tatives
Senate
4
Capital Hill
Impact that favors?
What kind of majority required to pass
legislation?
Sometimes resulting in?
5
House Rules
House of Representatives

• All Representatives elected every two years
• Total number capped at 435 members
• 435 seats apportioned among the 50 states
• Number of Representatives for each state
  proportionate to total population (IAW Census)

6
The House of Representatives

• Turnover gt impact of 2 year term of office?
• Theoretical impact gt more responsive
• Closer to mood of the people why?
• Reapportionment?
• Redistribution of the 435 seats in the
  House of Representatives
  among the 50 states
• Redistribution based on what every 10 years?
• But only applies to House - Why not Senate too?
• Redistricting?
• Drawing the lines for representation within the
  States
• What are the various ways to redistrict ?

7
Redistricting Counting the ways
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Evolution of Congress Historic overview

• Broad Constitutional guidance (Article I)
• Both Chambers determine own rules
• Senate requires 2/3 majority to change it rules
• How much of a majority does House require?
• Impact of these rules on each chamber?
• Changing Attitudes Toward Service in Congress
• Early attitudes towards service?
• Interest centered in State politics regular
  rotation gt
• High turnover gt impact? (see career of Henry
  Clay)

Impact on members of Congress as it evolved?
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Evolution of Congress
Early on, members of Congress did not stay in
Congress long
Since then, many members of Congress serve for
many years
What other changes occurred?
10
Change in the House

• Major Shiftgt Congress viewed more more as
  career
• Dramatic social economic change during late
  19th century
• Rapid Industrialization, urbanization,
  immigration
• Power shifts from the State to the Federal
  Government
• Role of Congress in interstate commerce
  national economy
• Result Proper decorum parliamentary rules
• More civil behavior among members
• No personal attacks allowed (decorum sometimes
  over the top)
• Power of Speaker role of Committee Chairman
  rise
• Key assignments controlled by Speaker until early
  20th century

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Change in the House The 1910 Revolt
1910 the rank file revolted against autocratic
rule Of Congressional leaders (Speaker controlled
all) - Revolt results in new rule seniority
rule (?)
The congressional norm of making the member of
the majority party with the ?__________
___________service on a committee the chair of
that committee
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Change in the House the 70s

• Similar change occurred during 1970s-1980s
• Revolt against committee chairs (Democrats)
• Resulted in rise of powerful subcommittees chairs
• Decentralization of House powergt impact?
• Gridlock on the national budget other bills
• All members gradually came to see need for reform
  
• Gradual re-centralization (power back to Speaker)
• But reform also tempered by memory of 1910 revolt
• Although Majority party leadership was made
  stronger
• Rank file House members still retained final
  veto power

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Change in the House Newts era

• 1995 GOP changes under Newt Gingrich
• Greater power concentrated in the Speaker
• Control of Committee assignments
• Control over which committee considered
  legislation
• Then came 1998 midterm elections
• Impact The more things change
• Gingrich lost power when GOP lost seats in House
• Resigned as Speaker House itself
• Replaced by mild mannered Dennis Hastert
• GOP regained power in 2000 under George W. Bush
• Consolidated expanded that power base under Tom
  Delay

How is the Senate different from the House and
how has it changed?
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Rules of the Senate

• Senators serve six year terms
• 1/3 of class elected every two years (why?)
• Reduce turnover effect
• Each state has two senators
• Vacancies in Senate can be filled through
  appointment (state rules)

• Senate

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The Senate How is it different?

• Make up longer terms impact on Senate?
• Less is more? (100 vs. 435) (6 vs. 2 years)
• Less responsive to voters why?
• Not up for re-election every two years!
• How did 17th Amendment change Senate?
• From Elite Mens Club w/apprenticeship period to
• Direct versus indirect elections by state
  legislaturegt impact?
• New Rules of 1970s gt more decentralized power
• Individual junior Senators more active in floor
  debate
• Result power in Senate more dispersed than in
  House
• Role and impact of requirement for unanimous
  consent
• NTL less visible change than in the House why?
• Senate rule changes require ? vote gt
  impact
• How is this different from House what is the
  effect?

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Getting Staying ThereCongressional Elections

• Incumbents and Reelection
• Overwhelming prospects for reelection (Figure
  11-1)
• House incumbents 92 vs. Senate 78
• Key questions
• Why do incumbents who run usually win?
• Why do House incumbents do better than Senate?

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Incumbent Reelection (1946-2004)
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Now 98 (2004)
Now 96 (2004)
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The Election Setting Reelection

• Single-member districts gt impact?
• Each district Rep. likely to share views of
  constituent majority
• If they didnt they probably couldnt get
  elected!
• Redistricting Maps drawn to favor incumbents
• Party in control of State Legislature draws the
  map
• Various options shown by Figure 11-2

Most likely option to be chosen? (Midterm
redistricting in Texas- Tom Delay)
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Gerrymandering
Drawing congressional district boundaries to
favor one party over the other
What is the objective of Gerrymandering?
Maintain Partys ?_____ ensure incumbents
?________
What happens when carried to the extreme?
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Districts (Reps) vs. States (Senators)

• Homogeneous voters of districts vs. that of State
• Californias diversitygt example (Table 11-1)

• Impact on House vs. Senate reelections?

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Incumbent Advantages?
Responsibility Of ?______
Resources of ?________
?_________ Privilege

• Related Home style presentation to constituents
  (voters)

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The Incumbents Advantages

• Advantage of Responsibility (of the office)
• 1. Bringing home the pork to ones State or
  district
• 2. Supporting popular views of their constituents
• 3. Free advertisement of incumbents official
  activities
• 4. Local media reporting of Congress press
  releases
• Resources of Office
• 5. Constituent service staff responsive to
  voters
• 6. Who is a helped voter likely to vote for in
  future?
• 7. provided to return home on weekendsgt
• Incumbents able to attend face to face meetings
  with Voters
• 8. Franking privilege (Newsletters- Figure 11-4)

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Franking Privilege?
The right of a member of Congress to send
official mail how?
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Campaign Money

• Election money is necessary for
• Campaign workers
• Pollsters
• Offices
• Advertising
• Other expenses

• Campaign Money- contributors go with winners
• - (As result who is most likely to win?)

• Incumbency status makes raising easier (Fig
  11-5)

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Sources of Funds for Congressional Candidates-
2004 Elections
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Name Recognition Its Advantages

• Name Recognition- ultimate advantage of incumbent
• Voters vote for who they know like
• Even though voters may dislike Congress in
  general
• The voters invariably like their own
  representative
• (Or vote for whose name they recognize on the
  ballot)
• Sort of like the way some answers are selected
  during exams?
• What are the disadvantages of the Challenger?
• (the reverse of all of the above)

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Voters and Election Outcomes

• Sowhen do incumbents lose?
• Lose touch with constituents (perception)
• Potomac fever (Lost inside the Beltway)
• Scandal gt Bad Press back home
• Corruption (perception or reality) gt indictment
• Opposition (out of power) able to paint other
  party w/broad brush
• Midterm elections- reflection of an unpopular
  president
• Voters want to send a message to the party in
  power
• Opposition able to nationalize local elections
  (Iraq War-2006)
• Senators especially vulnerable
• Another factor Divided government?

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Divided Government
When the ?_________ is of one party and the other
party has a majority in at least one house of
?_____________
Dealignment trends influences gt rise of
independents - Desire of voters for more checks
balances - Impact of recent growing
polarization division
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Serving in Congress

• Who Serves?
• Typical member profile?
• ?______________________
• Two types of representation?
• Descriptive versus?
• Policy representation
• Does it make a difference?
• Text Table 11-2
• (policy representation)
• Figure 11-6
• (descriptive representation)

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Serving in Congress The Job itself

• Congress as a Job
• High socio-economic status
• 162K per year travel
• Power respect
• Meaningful, fulfilling work
• Actions impact the Nation
• Great medical pension benefits
  (124K/year)
• Cost to member to serve?
• Heavy schedule (Fig 11-7)

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Congress and Ethics Conflicts of interest?

• The Revolving Door
• Former staff and members of Congress go into the
  Lobby business
• The K Street Project (where many lobby firms
  are located)
• Tom Delay (former House Majority Leader) demanded
  Lobby firms hire approved loyal GOP types or lose
  access to Congress
• Result greater influence of GOP Lobbyists
  Special Interests
• Vehicle ear marks gt pork placed on must
  pass bills
• Provide benefits to Special Interests without
  debate or legislative protocol
• Stricter rules of recent years not apparently
  enforced
• Evidence of both real and perceived corruption
  more apparent
• Result Constituent calls for radical reform
  becoming more strident
• Inside access of former members/staff (Revolving
  Door)
• Apparently more of a problem than originally
  thought

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Key Issues of Concern

• Does power corrupt after a time?- recent
  scandals
• GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoffs guilty plea its
  fall out
• Result flood of resignations, indictments,
  convictions
• Conviction of Rep Cunningham for bribery
  guilty plea of Rep Bob Ney for corruption
  influence-peddling
• More indictments of others in Congress
  Administration
• Recent resignation of White House Aide to Carl
  Rove
• Rep Jefferson (LA-D) caught in 90K FBI sting
• Sex scandal involving Rep Foley (FL-R) his
  inappropriate e-mails sexually explicit IMs to
  Congressional male Pages
• Impact public opinion polls for Congress fall
• Along with wargt direct impact on the outcome of
  the 2006 midterm elections

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Next Assignment

• Chapter 11b (Learning Objectives 7-13)
• Review Article I of Constitution
• Know how a Bill becomes a Law!
• Review MTX

35
Congress as an Organization Overview
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Congress as an Organization

• Political Parties in Congress
• Provide cohesion, direction, and organization
• Coordinate party government (across other
  branches)
• Party leadership not always followed by
  members-why?
• Members first priority loyalty is whom?
• Party Leadership in Congress
• Role of Majority party leadershipgt cohesive
  policies
• Who is the key institutional leader of the
  House?
• What is his/her key role and responsibilities?

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Speaker of the House

• Chief Parliamentary Officergt controls process
  debate
• Controls legislation referred to committee
• Schedules when legislation will be debated on
  floor
• Recognizes members on floor during a debate
• Decides when to call a vote
• Speakers Informal powers
• Controls flow of information to House membership
• Power to give or withhold favors
• Also leader of majority party (Who currently
  holds office?)

Who are the Speakers key assistants?
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Majority Leader
Majority Whip

• Leaderships chief vote counter
• Monitors mood of House mbrs
• Keeps leadership informed
• Informs members of schedule how to vote along
  party lines
• Compel votes along party lines?

• Helps schedule legislation
• Helps develop party positions
• Speaks for party on House floor
• (Why not the Speaker instead?)

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Responsible for keeping majority party unified
and helping to craft strategies for the Majority
Party

• Who is the Majority Leader?

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Responsible for keeping minority party unified
and helping to craft strategies for the Minority
Party
Whats the primary role of the Minority
Leadership?

• Loyal ?_________ gt (to majority party in power)

• Three Strategies available to Minority Party?

- 1. ?___________ - 2. ?__________ - 3.
?_________

• Strategy usually selected?

Who is the current House Minority Leader?
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Senate Leadership

• Senate Majority Leader
• Power in contrast to Speaker of the House?
• Much less power over Senates members
• Described by former Senate Majority Leaders as
  akin to herding cats
• Current Senate Majority Leader?
• ?__________________________
• Role of Unanimous Consent for the Senate?
• Without it Senates work would grind to a halt-
  Why?
• ?_______________________________________________
• As a result, the Majority Leader closely
  coordinates with the Senate Minority Leader who
  currently is?

42
Caucus (Dems) or Conference (GOP)
How are Senate leadership positions
determined? What mechanism is used to select
party leaders? (Applies to both House and
Senate)
A closed meeting of members of a political party
to discuss matters of public ?______ and
political ?_______, and in some cases, to select
?________________ for office.
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Committees of Congress
Which type of Committee does the Congress use to
do its work?
?________________ Committee
A permanent committee in Congress with
jurisdiction over a specific policy area. Such a
committee has tremendous say over the details of
legislation within its jurisdiction.
Most powerful House Standing committees?

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Committees of Congress- The Others

• What are the other types of Committees?
• ?_____________________ committees
• Special area or finite duration (investigations)
• No power to report out legislation
• ?_____________ committees gt purpose role?
• Committee of both Houses to resolve differences
  in a Bill (language of each Houses Bill must be
  identical)
• Recent trends in how used by current majority in
  power
• Re-writing the Bill from scratch
• Contrasting approach of the two Chambers
• House vs. Senate (expert vs. generalists) gt
  impact?

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Senate Organization Chart
Most powerful Senate Standing committees?
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Congressional Staffs

• Purpose support the members of the House
  Senate
• Personal staff (staffed by people loyal to
  incumbent)
• Focus reelection of membergt means constituent
  services
• Committee staffs (How different from Personal
  Staffs?)
• Theory emphasis on subject expertise over
  political ?_______
• Subject experts staff Standing Select
  committees (in theory)
• Congressional support agencies
• Congressional Research Service
• Government Accounting Office (GAO)
• Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
• Staff growth in Congress has been significant
  why?
• Federal government expanding role
• Attempt to compete with ?_________ branch info
  expertise
• Power of staff members?

Who stands in for Senators on Campaign?
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The Business of Congress

• Congress makes laws
• (Their primary job!)
• The Legislative Process
• 1. Policy initiation (source of policy ideas?)
• Members key role ?__________________ bill
• Co-sponsorship (getting support of other members)
• Improve prospects for Bills passage
• 2. Committee Process
• How a Bill becomes law

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How a Bill becomes Law- Overview
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Legislative Process in House of
Representatives
Member Introduces Bill
Note Same version of the bill must pass both
Houses
Bill reported out by full committee
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The House Rules Committee
Rules Committee Action
Debate and Vote
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The House Rule
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Lawmaking in the Senate
Bill Referred to Committee
Bill Referred to Subcommittee (Markup)
Bill Reported by Full Committee
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Lawmaking in Senate Debate Vote
Debate Scheduled by Informal Negotiation
Debate and Vote before full Senate
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The Legislative Process (Summary in detail)

• See www.Congress.org for specific details (click
  on The Legislative Process)
• Introduction of the Bill (must be introduced by
  either Senator or Representative)
• Step 1 Referral to Committee
• Step 2 Committee Action
• Step 3 Subcommittee Review
• Step 4 Mark Up
• Step 5 Committee Action to Report A Bill
• Step 6 Publication of a Written Report
• Step 7 Scheduling Floor Action
• House Rule Committee Action gt House Rule
• Senate informal coordination between Majority
  Minority Ldrs
• Step 8 Debate on the Floor of House (or Senategt
  Filibuster Cloture)
• Step 9 Voting (with amendments approved or voted
  down)
• Step 10 Referral to the other Chamber (process
  starts all over)
• Step 11 Conference Committee action
• Step 12 Final Actions gt voted on in identical
  form by both Houses
• If concurrent majority gt sent to President
  approved in identical form by both Houses
• President either signs or ignores (becomes law if
  in session), or vetoes or ignores (pocket veto)
• Step 13 Congress may attempt to override
  Presidents veto

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Strategies of Delay in the Senate
Filibuster
The tactic of ?_______________ a bill in the
Senate by talking endlessly about the bill in
order to win changes in it or kill it.
How can this attempt to delay or kill a bill be
stopped?
56
?_______________
The procedure to stop a filibuster, which
requires a supermajority of sixty votes.
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Decision Making

• How Congress makes its decisions on how to vote
• 1. Members personal expertise, knowledge,
  preference
• Member of the committee deciding a bills fate
• (Gained expertise personal knowledge of the
  Bill)
• 2. Voting Cues
• Personal ideology
• Constituent opinion
• Members of same state or trusted friend
• Party position (party leadership- whip)
• 3. Personal vs. Constituent (voters) preferences
• How to balance personal agenda still get
  reelected
• When to lead when to follow (when jobs are at
  stake)

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Policy Oversight

• New laws are short on detailsgt
• Role of the Federal Bureaucracy gt
• Rule making
• (Given significant leeway to implement the law)
• Two Options for Congressional Oversight
• 1. Police patrol oversight
• May or may not work- why?
• Can only patrol so much
• 2. Fire-alarm oversight problem with this
  option?
• Most of the time identified (when)?_______________
  _________
• Highly visible problem example
• FEMAs response to Hurricane Katrina

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Congress and Representation

• Two contrasting theories of representation?
• Delegate theory of representation?
• Faithfully represent views of ?___________________
  _____
• Trustee theory of representation?
• Use own ?________ ____________and vote
  ?________________
• Circumstances determining theory followed?
• Which theory most likely to be followed - when?
• ?______________usually followed depending on
  circumstances
• Usually extent of ?_________knowledge ?________
  on issue considered
• Parliamentary maneuvers cover-up
• King of the Hill (?__________amendment passed
  adopted) vs.
• Queen of the Hill (amendment passed with ?____
  votes adopted)

60
Next Weeks Assignment (Week 10)

• Week 10a Text Chapter 12gt The Presidency
• Review Syllabus- Learning Objectives 1-16
• Review Constitution Article II
• Week 10b Text Chapter 13gt The Bureaucracy
• Review Syllabus- Learning Objectives 1-11

61
Chapter 11 Key Terms

• Bicameral legislature A legislature with two
  housesi.e. the House and the Senate.
• Caucus A closed meeting of members of a
  political party to discuss matters of public
  policy and political strategy, and in some cases,
  to select candidates for office.
• Cloture The procedure to stop a filibuster,
  which requires a supermajority of 60 votes- in
  the Senate.
• Conference committee An ad hoc committee of
  House and Senate members formed to resolve the
  differences in a bill that passes each body with
  different provisions.
• Conservative Coalition The Conservative
  Coalition appears when a majority of southern
  Democrats vote with the majority of Republicans
  against a majority of northern Democrats.
• Constituent service Favors members of Congress
  do for constituentsusually in the form of help
  in dealing with the federal bureaucracy.
• Divided government When the president is of one
  party and the other party has a majority in at
  least one house of Congress.
• Filibuster The tactic of stalling a bill in the
  Senate by talking endlessly about the bill in
  order to win changes in it or kill it.
• Fire-alarm oversight Congressional oversight
  hearings designed to investigate a problem after
  it has become highly visible.
• Franking privilege The right of a member of
  Congress to send official mail without paying
  postage.
• Gerrymandering Drawing congressional district
  boundaries to favor one party over the other.

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Chapter 11 Key Terms (2)

• Home style The way in which members of Congress
  present themselves to their constituents in the
  district.
• Midterm elections The congressional elections
  that take place midway through a presidents
  four-year term.
• Police-patrol oversight Congressional oversight
  hearings designed to take a wide-ranging look for
  possible problems.
• Policy oversight Efforts by Congress to see that
  the legislation it passes is implemented, that
  the expected results have come about, and whether
  new laws are needed.
• Reapportionment The redistribution of seats in
  the House of Representatives among the states,
  which occurs every ten years following the
  census, so that the size of each states
  delegation is proportional to its share of the
  total population.
• Select committees Congressional committees that
  typically are created for only specific lengths
  of time and that lack authority to report
  legislation.
• Seniority rule The congressional norm of making
  the member of the majority party with the longest
  continuous service on a committee the chair of
  that committee.
• Single-member districts A legislative district
  in which only one legislator is elected.
• Standing committee A permanent committee in
  Congress with jurisdiction over a specific policy
  area. Such a committee has tremendous say over
  the details of legislation within its
  jurisdiction.
• Subcommittees The smaller units of a standing
  committee that oversee one part of the
  committees jurisdiction.
• Turnover Change in membership of Congress
  between elections.

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Next Weeks Assignment

• Review Syllabus Learning Objectives (1-16)
• Week 11gt Chapter 12 Learning Activities
• Text Chapter 12gt The Presidency
• Review Constitution Article II
• Readings Chapter 9 12