Chapter13 Congress

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Coleman Federalism

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13Congress


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Structure of Congress Based on Article 1, Congress is a bicameral

legislature.Bicameral= comprises two houses

SenateAdvise and consent for presidential appointments to courts andcabinet positions.Ratify foreign treatiesConviction of president in impeachment trial

ouse!mpeachment

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Evolution of CongressionalElections

Congress has changedsince the beginning of therepublic.

"ore career#driven."embers are moreelectorally#aware.

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U.S. House Tenure HasIncreased

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Re resentation andRea ortionment

SenateConstitution stipulates there will be twosenators for every state.

ouseCensus ta$en every 1% years.Afterwards, &'( seats are apportionedaccording to the population distribution.)his is called reapportionment.

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Redistricting

*raw new boundaries forcongressional districts afterdecennial census.

Restrictions placed on number ofciti+ens in each district anddistrict shape.

errymandering# redistricting tosecure a partisan advantage.

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!err"mandering 9.4

T#e $ail" S#o%

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcUDBgYodIEhttp://www.cc.com/video-clips/0adjfq/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-american-horrible-story---gerrymanderinghttp://www.cc.com/video-clips/0adjfq/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-american-horrible-story---gerrymanderinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcUDBgYodIE


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&a'orit" &inorit" $istricts

Congressional districts constructed so thatracial and ethnic minorities comprise ama-ority of the population.

!ntended to increase non#white racialrepresentation in Congress.

ngoing debate about effectiveness.

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&a'orit" &inorit" $istricts /hat do you perceive as the strengths and

wea$nesses of these districts0

!n ouse, it has increased the number ofblac$ and atino representatives.

"ay increase opposition in Congress byma$ing surrounding districts more raciallyconservative.

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FI!URE 13.() *frican *mericans+ %omen+and His anic *mericans in Congress+19,1-( 1

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Congressional /omination0rocess )he congressional nomination process is

similar to the presidential process.

"ost states choose their candidates in oneprimary prior to the general election.

Hardest fought primaries occur when there is

an open seat.en seat) A House or Senate race with no

incumbent, because of death or retirement

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House Elections Safe seat: a congressional district certain to

vote for the candidate of one party.

Incumbency advantage: the electoraladvantage a candidate en-oys by virtue ofholding elected office.

Challengers face barriers to success.ow visibility

2ewer resources

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&odels of Re resentation *elegate

Representatives simply follow thee3pressed preferences of theirconstituents.

)rustee"ay listen to constituent opinion, butuse best -udgement when ma$ing adecision.

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&odels of Re resentation /hat are the strengths and wea$nesses of

the delegate model0

/hat are the strengths and wea$nesses ofthe trustee model0

/hich model of representation do youendorse0

Could their application depend on the

conte3t0

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2'ectives ofRe resentation b-ectives of "embers of Congress

Reelection4ublic 4olicy

aining influence within partyServe constituents

/hich ob-ective are members of Congressmore concerned about0

Reelection

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Re resentative e#avior Representatives engage in constituency service5

*istrict service5 effort by members of Congressto secure federal funding for their districts.

Casewor$5 to help constituents when they havedifficulties with federal agencies

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&em2er Resources Each member has:

Use of the fran ing rivilege (free use ofthe U.S. mail) .A Washington o ce and one or moredistrict o ces.

!"pical House member emplo"s #$personal sta% assistants.

!ra&el subsidies

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Cam aign Funds Elections for 'ongress ha&e become

increasingl" e pensi&e. !he a&erage total spent b" winning Housecandidates was almost #.* million in+ #+ .

!he a&erage winning senatorial candidatespent almost # .+ million in + #+.

!he gap between incumbent andchallenger spending has widened.

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Senate Elections -ncumbent Senators lose more fre uentl"

than incumbent House members.

Senate elections di%er from House electionsin:

/art" competitionUncontrolled information0etter challengers

!he high ambitions of senators

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/ational Forces in CongressionalElections

!ncumbent Senators lose more fre6uentlythan incumbent ouse members.

Coattails4ositive electoral effect of a popular presidentialcandidate on congressional candidates of thepresident7s party.

8vidence suggests that congressionalelections are more nationali+ed today.

"ore unified, and more distinct, political parties

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C#allenges Faced " &em2ers ofCongress

!nformation Costs"ust grasp information on variety of issues"ust understand what other members thin$ about theissues

Collective ActionSome members bear disproportionate cost of passinglegislation compared to other members"ay lead to inaction on legislation

9Cycling: awma$ers have a hard time deciding among a range

of different policy options

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Congressional Structure Congressional

committees help solvethe collective actionproblem

"embers are assignedto committees thatcover particular policyareas.

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T" es of Committees Standing Committees

/ell#defined policy areas."anage the bul$ of legislative wor$ ;e.g., policydeliberation, policy formulation and policy evaluation.

Subcommittees)ypically established within standing committees.

andle subtopics being considered by standing

committee.Serve information gathering function.

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T" es of Committees Select Committees

Address more time#sensitive, speciali+ed policy issues.)ypically, are disbanded after policy issue has beenresolved.83ample, ouse select committee to investigate attac$

on


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Committee &em2ers#i

)here are two reasons that members ofCongress choose to serve on certaincommittees.

Relevant of committee issue are to congressional

district.4ower of the committee.

Committee chairsChairs set the committee agenda.)ypically, the most senior committee member of thema-ority party.

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0art" 5eaders#i in House Spea$er of the ouse

Selected by ma-ority party*etermines party agenda

"a-ority eaderAssists Spea$er with party agendaSecond in command

"inority leaderSelected by party with fewer seats"obili+es party around congressional agenda

/hip ;ma-ority and minority>Communicates message from party leadershipRallies party around party agenda*elivers votes to support party stance on issues

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0art" 5eaders#i in Senate "a-ority leader

Same role as Spea$er of ouse*etermines party agenda

4resident of the Senate?ice 4resident of the Same function as in the ouse

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0art" 0olari6ation Is

Increasing Rise in political partisanship over past '%

yearsittle evidence to suggest the public has become more

liberal or conservative

4olari+ation and income ine6uality 9Bac$ and forth: causality

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0art" $isci line 4arties help overcome collective action

problems by instilling discipline

4arty caucus@4arty conferenceathering of party membersften used to communicate party agenda

"inority leaderSelected by party with fewer seats"obili+es party around congressional agenda

/hip ;ma-ority and minority>Counts votes4ersuades members to vote certain ways

imit opportunities for leadership*eny $ey committee chair positions

imit access to party campaign funding

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0art" 0olari6ation 8vidence suggests party discipline is

effective

ighest level of party polari+ation in


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0art" 7oting 819 9 to 19: ; 13.4


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0art" 7oting 8( 1 to ( (; 13.4


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0art" 7oting 8( 11 to ( 1(; 13.4


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5a%ma ing IsCom licated Bill needs sponsor to introduce to

chamber

Routed to the relevant standingcommittee.

*etermined by Spea$er in ouse)ypically, the president pro tempore in Senate

ater, assigned to subcommittees/here most of wor$ on bill is doneAmend bill

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5a%ma ing 0rocess oes bac$ to full committee

"ost bills die by this stage 9)able: bills by not acting on them

!n Senate, goes directly to floor.*etermined by Spea$er in ouse)ypically, the president pro tempore in Senate

!n ouse, goes to Rules committee*etermine terms of amendment processSponsor prefer as few amendments to be made aspossible.

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Final Stages 2re6uently, bill must go to conference

committee.oint conference of members from both chambers

Compromise on conflicting portions of the bill.

Revised bills go bac$ to each respectivefloor for final vote

oes to 4resident to be signed!f vetoed, Congress can drop bill, amend bill to4resident7s li$ing, or override veto.

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FI!URE 13.4) Ho% a 2ill 2ecomes a la%8or not;

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FI!URE 13.,) Success rates for 2illsintroduced in Congress

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>uestions /hat are your general feelings towards

Congress0

/hy do you personally thin$ they passso few bills0

/hat role does party polari+ation play0

/hat could be done to reduce such

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Chapter13 Congress

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