Congress

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Congress

• Theories of Representation

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Today

• Bare-bones basics of Congress
• What does it mean to represent someone (or some
  group) politically?
• What factors determine who represents us in
  Congress?

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Bicameral Legislature

• House
• 435 Representatives
• 1 per geographic district
• 2 year terms

• Senate
• 100 Senators
• 2 per state
• 6 year terms

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Business of Congress

• A Day in the House of Reps
• http//clerk.house.gov/

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What Does Representation Mean?

• Represent to act in place of or on behalf of
  someone else
• Constituency the group on whose behalf the
  legislator acts

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Three Big Questions About Representation

• Does the idea of democratic representation allow
  legislators to do what is good for us, rather
  than what we want?
• Should members of Congress serve as delegates
  or as trustees?
• Whose best interests matter?
• Is agency representation enough, or is
  sociological representation necessary?

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Theories of Representation Delegate v. Trustee

• Delegate Someone who acts in accordance with
  our wishes
• Trustee Someone who acts to best protect our
  interests (even if were not happy with it)
• Example Balancing the budget and raising taxes

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Theories of RepresentationThe Importance of
Constituency

• If legislators are acting in our best interests,
  who has standing?
• Only voters in the legislators district?
• Everyone in the legislators district, both
  parties, voters and non-voters?
• The nation as a whole?
• Example pork barrel legislation

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Theories of Representation Descriptive v.
Substantive

• Ways of creating policy congruence (delegate
  representation)
• Descriptive
• Shared background and experience shared
  political preferences
• Substantive (Agency)
• Electoral accountability is enough to force
  policy congruence

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But . . .

• Is electoral pressure enough to force policy
  congruence, or is descriptive representation
  necessary for true representation?
• Are there benefits to descriptive representation
  that extend beyond policy outcomes?

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Who Represents Us Important Factors to Remember

• Who runs
• Access to money
• Access to support
• Time and social capital
• Incumbency advantage
• Money
• Name recognition and constituency service
• Controversy over term limits U.S. Term Limits
  v. Thornton
• Redistricting
• The art of the gerrymander

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RedistrictingThe Original Gerrymander
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Redistricting

• When and why
• Every 10 years (now Baker v. Carr) following
  REAPPORTIONMENT
• In response to legal challenges

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Redistricting

• How its done
• Political gerrymandering favoring the party in
  power in the state legislature
• Racial gerrymandering efforts to increase or
  limit the influence of racial minorities

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Racial Gerrymandering

• Cracking
• Drawing district lines so that the minority
  racial group is diffuse, spread out over many
  districts, so they have no influence in any one
  district
• Packing
• Drawing district lines to that the minority
  racial group is concentrated into one or two
  districts, with no influence in any of the others

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RedistrictingA Modern Gerrymander
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History of North Carolinas 12th Congressional
District