Congress

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Congress

• Recognized as the First branch of government,
  Legislative necessarily predominates, Fed 51
• The primary policy making branch
• Historically, Congress has dominated policy
  making.
• Today, policy making responsibilities are shared
  with the President (since FDR).
• Characteristics of Congress
• Long work days10-14 hour days.
• 535 members, 100 in the Senate, 435 in the House
• Longer legislative careers, turnover usually
  occurs due to retirement.

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The 109th Congress

• Republicans control both Senate (55-45) House
  (232-203)
• 110th Congress
• Projected House 234 Dems, 201 Reps
• Projected Senate 51 Dems, 49 Reps
• A Male dominated institution women most
  under-represented group in House.
• A White dominated institution.
• Previous careers tend to be in the Law, business,
  public service/politics, and education.
• People generally like their Member of Congress,
  but do not care for Congress as a whole.

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Goals of Members of Congress (MC)

• Reelection The over-riding goal is to get
  reelected. Without reelection, MC cannot
  accomplish other goals. Most behavior explained
  by the electoral connection, particularly in the
  House.
• Make Good Public Policy MCs job is to develop
  policy and make decisions. Able to make name for
  selves through policy-making. Whats good
  policy?
• Prestige and Personal Power Want power and
  prestige within Congress, as well as outside
  Congress-- to run for higher office, attain
  leadership other positions of power (e.g.
  committee chair).

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Congressional Elections

• Incumbency advantage Incumbents win 95 of the
  time in the House (97 00-04), 85 in the
  Senate.
• 95 in 06. All 19 losses Republican.
• Congressional elections lack competition.
• Only 14 competitive races in House in 02, fewer
  still in 04. 06 had 45!
• 00-04 avg. 70 incumbents unopposed 49 in 06.
• Advantage also seen in state legislative
  elections.
• Despite this advantage, members driven by
  electoral connection, further increasing
  advantages.
• Retirement is primary method of turnover.

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Sources of Incumbency Advantage

• 3 Activities Incumbents use to help w/
  reelection
• Advertising mail franking, getting in the news.
• Credit Claiming serve district, pork barrel and
  casework.
• Position-taking take clear positions on issues
  key to dist.
• Why is incumbency such an advantage?
• Weak opponents often. Many challengers are
  amateurs, pros discouraged from running. Why?
• Money Advantage (6 Xs in House, 5Xs Senate)
• Gerrymandered districts. Creates partisan
  pro-incumbent districts. Districting a political
  process, so designed to create a particular
  outcome.

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Organization of Congress

• Bicameral Legislature Senate and House, very
  different, and differences matter greatly.
• Each state has 2 Senators, 6 year terms
• of House Representatives population based (2
  yr)
• A bill must pass both houses in similar form to
  become law.
• This requirement makes legislating more
  difficult. Most bills destined to fail because of
  ability of each chamber to check the another.
• Chambers have diff. constituencies have the
  means and the motives to check one another.

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Differences between the Chambers

• The House of Representatives
• More hierarchical and power centralized w/
  majority party leaders.
• Members have little power, more party-line votes.
• The Rules Committee controls agenda, led by the
  Speaker.
• Rules favor getting things done (e.g.
  germaneness).
• The Senate
• Less organized and centralized Weaker party
  leaders, individual members have a great deal of
  power.
• Rules favor minority Filibuster (60 votes to
  overcome cloture), non-germaneness, unanimous
  consent. All up.

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Congressional Leadership

• The House of Representatives
• Speaker of the House most powerful legislator,
  presides over the House, committee assignments,
  appoints chairs, and assigns bills to committees.
• Majority and minority leaders the official
  leader of their party. Majority leader schedules
  bills for debate.
• The Senate
• Vice President presides (in name only) and breaks
  ties.
• Majority leader (works closely with minority
  leader) schedules debates and helps with
  committee assignments. Leaders generally very
  weak.

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The Legislative Process

• Bill A proposed law. Must be introduced by a
  member of Congress. Bill number HR (introd in
  House), S (senate). cue tape FUNNEL
• The legislative process has two tracks-- 1 in the
  House, 1 in the Senate. May or may not occur
  simultaneously.
• Most bills die in committee, with most of the
  5000 introduced per year not even receiving a
  hearing.
• Obstacles to passage are many and include
• Bicameralism Senate Filibuster Committees.
• Veto Veto threats Relevance of TIME.

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Types of Committees

• Standing Committees The most important, handle
  most bills and oversight of policy.
  Policy-Oriented committees w/ jurisdiction (e.g.
  Armed Services, Foreign Relations, etc.)
  House20 Senate16
• Very Partisan.
• Conference Committees Formed to iron out
  differences between House Senate on legislation
  that has passed both houses in different form.
• Very partisan over last decade.
• Select committees and joint committees.

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Standing Committee Responsibilities

• Winnow the legislative agenda Nearly 5000 bills
  introduced each year, committees serve as
  gate-keepers, having power of life or death over
  a bill. Most bills die here, 85 ignored.
• Craft Legislation Committees re-write
  (mark-up) bills, which gives them substantial
  policy power.
• Members act as floor managers and cue givers on
  floor votes for committee bills. Experts on the
  policies.
• Most of the action occurs in Committee, and its
  where lobbies focus their attention as well.

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Committee Responsibilities, continued

• Congressional Oversight-- Monitoring of agencies
  and administration of policy through hearings.
• Serves to check the executive.
• Committees control agency resources (mainly ).
• Committees in the Senate hold confirmation
  hearings on presidential appointees to executive
  judiciary.
• Committees provide policy specialization The
  division of labor, allows members to specialize,
  provide benefits to MCs.
• Committees are highly political, highly partisan.

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Political Importance of Committees

• A members committee assignments are critical to
  achieving the three goals (reelection, policy
  making, prestige), as it determines much of the
  work they do in Congress.
• Committee Chairs The most powerful committee
  member, controls the agenda. More recently an
  agent of party leadership.
• Seniority System Prior to 1970s, was the rule
  for assigning leadership role in committees.
  Committee chairs are less independent today, with
  Party leadership having more control.

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Congressional Decision-Making

• To vote yes or no on legislation.
• The most studied part of the legislative process
  but relatively unrepresentative part of the
  overall process.
• Influences on Congressional voting include
• Political Party The best indicator of how a MC
  will vote.
• The President Stances on issues can influence
  how MCs vote. Effects generally marginal,
  though.
• Constituency Especially key for salient issues.
• Ideology The MCs own policy preferences matter.
• All of the above cross-pressure MCs.

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Constituency vs. Ideology?

• A major question involving representation in
  Congress.
• Should MCs vote what their constituents want, or
  vote what they believe to be the wisest choice?
• Edmund Burke (1600s) wrote on this, and clearly
  preferred the latter approach (but he lost
  reelection).
• Burkes Classification (with modifications)
• Trustees Vote what they believe to be wisest
  choice.
• Instructed Delegates Vote how their constituents
  would vote.
• Politicos Do both depending on the situation.
  Ex For salient issues, act as Delegates. Most
  common.