CONGRESS

1. CONGRESS Congress is the first branch of the American national government in terms of constitutional powers and prerogatives. How is this true

2. Congress Vs Parliament • Among the large democracies in the world only the U.S. Congress has great powers that it can exercise independently of the executive branch. That is why we are the only democratic nation with a legislative branch. • Congress ( Latin) a coming together a meeting as of representatives from many places. • Parliament (French parler) to talk • Both members of congress and parliament represent their districts but the differences that their names imply are real with major significance • How laws are made • How the government is run. • These differences also effect two important aspects the lawmaking bodies • How one becomes a member • What does one do as a member

3. How one becomes a member • Parliament • By persuading a political party to put your name on the ballot. • Usually a local party committee selects a person to be the candidate which the committee gets suggestions from the national headquarters • Someone willing to support the national party program and leadership • In the election the people vote in their districts not for different personalities running for office but instead they vote between two of three national parties. • Congress • People become a candidate for either house by running in a primary which the national parties have little control. • The parties have little choice of who is nominated to run for office • Voters select candidates in the primaries because of personalities and their position on issues • Even in the general election people vote for the candidate and not the party even with the label. • Parliament tends to be made up of what type of people? • Congress tends to be made up of what type of people?

4. Once in office • Parliament • They can make only one important decision whether or not to support the government. • Congress • Representatives and Senators can vote on proposed laws without worrying that their votes will cause the government to collapse and without fearing that a failure to support their party will lead to their removal from the ballot in the next election • Congress has powers that are independent defined by the Constitution and can be exercised without regard to presidential preferences. • Parties do not control nominations for office so they can not discipline members who fail to support the party leadership. • Because of these things congressman are free to express their views and vote hoe they wish • They are free to become involved in the most details of lawmaking budget making and supervision of the administration of laws which is done in committees and subcommittees • Congress is constitutionally independent of the president

5. Once in office cont. • Parliament • Is an assembly of party representatives who choose a government and discuss major issues. • The daily work is debate. • Congress • Meeting place of representatives of local constituencies and states. • They create modify approve, and reject laws, and they share with the president supervision of the administrative agencies • Principal work is representation and action • What does this mean in practical terms to the typical legislator?

6. Since our congress is made up of people that were elected by those in their district or state it should be no surprise that members of congress are more concerned with • What their constituencies want • Careers over the national party they belong • Since congress does not pick the president members of congress worry more about what the voters they represent want than worrying about the presidents programs and their success. • Because of these two factors our congress tends to be decentralized with each member more interested in his or her own views and those of the their voters than with the programs of the president • Congress was designed by the founders in ways that almost inevitably make it unpopular with voters Why?

7. Who is in Congress • With the power in Congress so decentralized, the kind of person elected to it is very important Why? • Each member exercises some influence, the beliefs and interests of each member affect policy. • Typical member of Congress is a white male middle aged, protestant, lawyer. • Congress has slowly changed less male less white • Between 1950-2004 • Women in the House 9-62 • African Americans 2-39 • Hispanic 5 in 1972 by 2004 23 • Senate change has been slower • Before 1992 no African Americans and only 2 women • In the 92 election four more women • By 2002 no African Americans and 13 women

8. WHO IS IN CONGRESS • Incumbency • The most important change that has occurred in congress was the slow increase in incumbency. • in the 19th century a large fraction of congressmen served only one term. • In 1869 more than half of the members of congress were first term why? • Being a congressman in those days was not thought of as a career • Federal government was not very important (states was were the most interesting political decisions were being made) • Travel to D.C. was not easy and the city was not a nice place to live • Being a member of congress did not pay well • Many congressional districts were very competitive

9. Incumbency Cont. • By 1950 serving in congress had become a career. • Between 1863-1969 the amount of first term members of the house fell form 58% to 8%. • As a result of this the public started to talk about professional politicians being out of touch • A movement started to impose term limits and in 1995 congress approved a constitutional amendment but the senate stopped it, and the Supreme Court struck down an effort by to impose term limits on its members to congress. • However in the 1992 and 94 elections brought a lot of new members to congress this was because of natural political forces • 1.When districts were redrawn after the 1990 census put many incumbents running in new districts that they could not win • 2. voters were upset with political scandals made them vote for outsiders • 3. Republican victory in 94 was made possible in part because the south had converted from being democratic strong hold.

10. Incumbency Cont. • Incumbents still enjoy great advantages in congressional elections. • 1994 35 incumbents democrats lost but 90% of all house incumbents won reelection 92% won in the Senate • 2000 only 6 of 399 house incumbents lost which was a hotly contested • The fact is that most house members still win big in their districts even with the high number of new faces that were elected in the 1990s • Political scientists classify congressional districts • Marginal districts win by less than 55% of the vote • Safe districts win by more than 55% of the vote • Senators are not as safe by rule less than half of incumbents win reelection by 60% of the vote. • In the house incumbents who have won reelection with at least 60% of the vote has increased from 3/5 in the 1950s to almost 9/10 in the late 1980s

11. Incumbency Cont. • Why Congressional seats have become less marginal • 1. TV and other media but challengers can use it • 2. voters are more likely to vote for the person not the party • 3. voters know the incumbents • 4. Incumbents get and can use power to get programs and money for their districts.