Origins for names of legislatures

1. Origins for names of legislatures “Legislature” – from Latin word for “law” “Congress” -- Latin “come together” “Assembly” – I dunno, but also means “come together” “Parliament” – from French, emphasizing “talking” “Duma”—Russian, emphasizing “thinking” “Bundestag, Diet” – from German, emphasizing “day” “Alting,” “Storting” – “Ting” is Scandinavian for Assembly

2. Types of Representation • 1.) Policy representationTrustee or Delegate? National or Local? • 2.) Allocative representation • 3.) Service representation (casework) • 4.) Symbolic representationHow important is it to have a Congress that “looks like America”?

3. Representation vs. lawmaking • Complementary? (American revolution) • Conflictual? What do you think? • THE PARADOX OF CONGRESS: “Locally elected body tasked with making national policy”No members of Congress, not even its top leaders, accountable to whole country • Do you think congressional leaders ought to be elected on a nationwide basis?

4. THE LAW OF CONGRESSIONAL POPULARITY • “Love our Congressperson, hate our Congress” • Congressional approval frequently less than 50% -- individual congressman approval usually about 70%, re-election rate over 90% • “Members run for Congress by running against Congress”

5. THE LAW OF CONGRESSIONAL ORGANIZATION • “Big changes in the distribution of power in Congress • (i.e. the relationship between individual members, committees, parties) • Can be traced to changes in the electoral context—how members get elected, where they get elected from, what kinds of members get elected

6. THE LAW OF CONGRESSIONAL POWER (relative to other branches) • Changes in the balance of power between branches usually result from • ---Big economic changes---Wars • ---Changes in technology • ---Big demographic changes