Congress

1
Congress

• Outline
• Introduction
• Design of Congress
• Districting
• Legislative Process
• Incumbency Advantage

2
Congress

• Introduction
• What is Congress?
• What does Congress do?
• Design of Congress
• Congress under Criticism
• Congress is Inefficient
• - Designed to be status quo oriented
• - Members of Congress given contradictory
• duties

3
Congress

• c. Formation of Congress
• - The Basis of Representation
• Virginia Plan
• New Jersey Plan
• Great Compromise
• - Logic of Bicameralism

4
Congress

• III. Districting
• a. Types of Voting Districts
• - Multi-member Separate Voting
• Districts
• - Proportional Voting Districts
• - Single-member Voting Districts

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Congress

• b. Representation Issues
• 1. Population Growth
• 2. Redistricting
• 3. Gerrymandering
• a. Methods of Gerrymandering
• Diluting
• Packing

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Congress

• b. Urban v. Rural
• - Baker v. Carr (1962)
• - Gerrymandering still possible
• c. Minority Discrimination
• - Majority-Minority Districts
• - Shaw v. Reno (1993)
• d. Party Discrimination
• - No challenges

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Congress

• IV. The Legislative Process
• a. Who Writes the Bill?
• b. Introducing a Bill Committees
• c. House Process
• 1. Rules Committees
• Open and Closed Rules
• 2. Voting on the floor
• King of the Hill Amendments

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Congress

• d. Senate Process
• 1. Unanimous Consent
• Agreement
• 2. Leadership on the floor
• 3. Filibuster and Cloture
• e. Conference Committee
• f. To the President

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Congress

• V. Incumbency Advantage
• a. Does it Exist?
• b. Causes of this Advantage
• c. Bottom Line
• d. Representation Limited?