Congress House & Senate: Differences in Representation Bicameral System: Two Chambers –Each state has two senators –Representation in the House determined.

Congress

House & Senate: Differences in Representation

• Bicameral System: Two Chambers– Each state has two senators– Representation in the House determined by state

population– Predicated on different models of representation

• Senate: states, with long terms• House: districts, with short terms


• Senate: 100 Senators– Originally selected by state legislatures– Six year terms

• House of Representatives: 435 Members– Elected by districts– Two year terms


• How representatives “represent”:– Sociological Representation: Representative shares

characteristics, background and interests with constituents

– Agency Representation: Representative has incentives to act in the constituents’ interests


• Sociological Representation


• Representatives as Agents: Legislators learn about the interests of constituents

• Parties almost never ask a member of Congress to vote against constituent interests

The Electoral Connection

• Who gets elected?– Incumbency advantage– Districting and gerrymandering issues


• Incumbency Advantage– Members of Congress have an array of tools to

keep them in office• Constituency services• Name recognition and title

The Power of Incumbency


• Redistricting– The vast majority of incumbents in safe seats

come from districts where the majority of voters are from the same party as they are

– The critical election in these districts is the primary– Gerrymandering: Redrawing legislative district

boundary lines to provide political advantage or disadvantage

Results of Congressional Reapportionment


• Direct Patronage– Pork barrel spending

• Earmarks

– Patronage• Some local and state elected officials have jobs to offer

to constituents

– Constituent services– Private bills


The Organization of Congress

• Majority party controls leadership and shapes agenda– Speaker of the House is the leader of majority

party– Both parties also elect a majority leader, a minority

leader, and a whip– Parties determine which of their members sit on

various committees

Party Leadership in the Senate

Majority Party Structure in the House of Representatives

Majority Party Structure in the Senate


• Committee System– Standing committees– Select committees– Joint committees– Conference committees


• Standing committees are permanent and are where the majority of legislation is written



• Select Committees– Formed temporarily to focus on a specific issue

• Cannot present bills to the chamber• Bring attention to a specific subject


• Joint Committees– Formed from members of both Chambers– Gather information– Cover issues internal to Congress


• Conference Committees– Temporary joint committees– For a bill to become a law, the same wording of

the bill must be passed by both chambers– Conference committees are formed to write the

final wording when both chambers pass similar bills that need to be reconciled


• The number of seats the minority party has on a committee is roughly proportionate to the seats it has in the House, but at an unfavorable rate.

• Seniority determines committee assignments– Chairs can be removed by the party caucus– Chairs are term-limited


• Congressional Staffers– Members of Congress need staff who are experts

in specific fields and also staff to help constituents• Over 11,500 staff in DC and district offices• Another 2,000 staff for committees

How a Bill Becomes a Law


• A bill is a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress and submitted to the Clerk of the House or Senate

• The bill is given a number and assigned to a committee, which typically refers it to a subcommittee

• Bills taken seriously are given a hearing

Rules of Lawmaking Explain Howa Bill Becomes a Law


• The House rule determines how much time is allocated for floor debate.

• The debate time is divided equally between those for the bill and those against the bill.

• The Senate allows for unlimited discussion, requiring 60 votes to end a filibuster via cloture.


• Once a bill clears in one chamber, it is sent to the other, where the process starts over.

• If both chambers pass the same wording, the bill is sent to the president.

• If not, both chambers create a conference committee.


• The President is given ten days to veto a law.– Vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in

each chamber.– Pocket veto: If there are less than tens days left in

the Congressional calendar and the president does not sign the bill into law, it dies and must begin again from scratch in the next session.

How Congress Decides

• There are a number of influences on members of Congress.

• Constituents– Legislators take constituents seriously if they

believe it will affect their support at the next election.



• Interest Groups– Can supply legislators with information about

pending bills– Can make donations– Do they represent the interests of constituents?


• Party Discipline– Congress has become bitterly partisan since the

1990s


• Party leaders have some tools at their disposal:– Leadership PACs– Committee assignments– Access to the floor– The whip system– Logrolling– Presidency

Beyond Legislation

• Oversight– Congress is expected to oversee the activities of

the Executive Branch in order to ensure funding is spent properly and laws are enforced.

Beyond Legislation

• Advice and Consent– Senate must confirm top-level executive

appointments, ambassadors, and federal judges– Must also approve all treaties

Beyond Legislation

• Impeachment– If high officials are thought to have committed

“Treason, Bribery or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors,” they can be impeached.

– The House acts as a grand jury.– The Senate conducts the actual trial.

Public Opinion Poll

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?

a) Strongly approve

b) Approve

c) Disapprove

d) Strongly disapprove

Public Opinion Poll

Do you approve or disapprove of the way your member of Congress is handling his or her job?

a) Strongly approve

b) Approve

c) Disapprove

d) Strongly disapprove

Public Opinion Poll

Do you believe we should have term limits for Members of Congress?

a) Yes

b) No

Public Opinion Poll

Do you believe state legislatures should consider the racial makeup of a district when redistricting?

a) Yes

b) No

Public Opinion Poll

Do you think it is important that the demographics of Congress represent the social, racial and economic demographics of the country?

a) Yes

b) No

Public Opinion Poll

When members of Congress cast a vote, which of the following factors should typically most influence their decision?

a) The interests of the country as a whole

b) The interests of their district or state

Public Opinion Poll

Which of the following do you believe should be the most influential factor in the voting decisions of members of congress?

a) The preferences of their constituents

b) The preferences of the President

c) The preferences of the Members’ Party Leadership

d) The members’ own ideology

Chapter 9: Congress

• Quizzes

• Flashcards

• Outlines

• Exercises

wwnorton.com/we-the-people

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/polisci/we-the-people8/essentials/ch/09/studyplan.aspx

Following this slide, you will find additional images, figures, and tables from the textbook.

Differences between the House and the Senate

The Social Composition of the U.S. Congress

Party Discipline

Get Your Representatives in Congress Working for You

Debate

Congress House & Senate: Differences in Representation Bicameral System: Two Chambers –Each state has two senators –Representation in the House determined.

Documents

senate slide

disadvantage slide

title slide

written slide

electoral connection

house senate

power of incumbency

specific subject slide