U.S. Political Institutions

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Wexner Fellows -- US Congress
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Wexner Fellows -- US Congress
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The Basics
Wexner Fellows -- US Congress

• House
• 435 Members
• 2 Year Terms
• Committee Dominant
• Majority Party Dominant
• 108th Congress
• Lots of Staff

• Senate
• 100 Members
• 6 Year Terms
• Committees Important
• Majority Party Important
• 108th Congress
• Even More Staff

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How a Bill Becomes a Law(or at least what we
teach, but its not so simple)

• Introduction Referral
• Committee Hearings
• Committee Markups
• Committee Reports
• Schedule Floor Action (Rules, UCRs)
• Floor Votes
• Conference Committee
• Conference Report Floor Vote
• Presidential Signature (or Veto)

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Paradoxes of Congress

• Closest to people yet least liked
• Weak parties yet viewed as too partisan
• Individualistic yet powerful
• Members run for Congress by running
• against it

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Reelection is Usually Easy
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