Congress

1. Congress The most powerful branch

2. The People Are NOT Happy….

3. Why are they unhappy? Too responsive to the people Too different from the people

4. Cause of government expansion

5. Characterize the backgrounds of members of Congress and assess their impact on the ability of members of Congress to represent average Americans. • The students can list demographic qualities of typical members of Congress and will give examples of ways that Congressmen represent those that are unlike them. Learning Target 11.1

6. Why Being a Congress Member is NOT Fun

7. So why would you want the job? POWER

8. Pay and Benefits • $174,000 • Fully paid health care • Free exercise gym • Substantial Pension (after 5 years) • Travel allowance (weekends in their home district) • Suite of offices and staff budget

9. Are they all paid the same? • Well no… • Speaker of the House: • $223,500 • President Pro Tempore, Minority and Majority Leaders in House and Senate: • $193,400 • Still not what they could make in the private sector

10. How many? • 535 • 100 Senators • 435 Members of the House

11. Formal Qualifications Senate House 25 years old 7 year citizen State inhabitant • 30 years old • 9 yr citizen • State inhabitant

12. Informal Qualifications • Male – 81% • White – 82% • Native born to State • College Educated – 100% • Female – 19% • Black – 9% • Hispanic – 7% • Asian – 2% • 2 (total) Native Americans in the House • Stable (2 kids and a dog) • Upper Middle Class (51% Millionaires)

13. Informal Qualifications • Average Age - 59 • Protestant – 55% • Politician – 61% • 7 openly gay members in Congress • Catholic – 28% • Jewish – 6.5 % • Other – 10.5% • Law– 50% • Business – 47.5% • Education – 21.5% • 2 Transgender running in 2018

14. Can a mostly male, upper middle class Congress represent constituents? Descriptive representation Substantive representation Representing constituents needs and views despite obvious race, class, gender differences Representing the actual background and views of constituents

15. Why Aren’t More Women Elected to Office? Obstacles? Women with children are significantly less ambitious about running for office than their male counterparts with children – why?

16. Perceptions matter… • Odds of winning – if not so good – women won’t run while men will • Odds of winning – if good – women are more likely than men to run • Voters are harder on female candidates. Women have to be more qualified on average than their male opponents because voters appraise women more harshly.

17. Write a description of a typical member of Congress Write a description of an atypical member of Congress Write a description of a type of person who is currently NOT in Congress Turn in to basket Exit Ticket 11.1

18. Identify the principal factors influencing the outcomes of congressional elections. • Students can explain the benefits of incumbency and explain the impact incumbency has on re-election. Learning Target 11.2

19. Congressional Elections – Incumbent Advantages Greater for House members than Senate – gerrymandered districts (safe)

20. House of Rep. Elections – incumbent advantages • 90%+ re-elected – most with 60%+ vote • Fundraising – special interest groups 3/1 to 4/1 advantage for incumbents • Name recognition • Franking privilege • Bringing home the bacon – pork barrel spending • Constituent services

21. Senate elections – Less incumbent advantage • No gerrymandered districts – state-wide races • Less personal contact with constituents • Races receive more media coverage – greater accountability • Higher profile challengers – name recognition • Challengers also have financial backing

22. Is Incumbency Advantage good or bad for democracy Good Bad Fewer new ideas Bad people get re-elected Same arguments year after year Politicians for life • Know how Congress works • Know the issues that have been on the table • Have expertise in lawmaking • Do you go to the surgeon with experience or the new/young one?

23. Basic Advantages of Incumbency: • Advertising (includes franking, databases, visits home, conference calls with constituents) • Credit Claiming: (casework, pork barrel) • Position Taking (voting record, public stances) • Weak Opponents (especially in House race) • Campaign Spending (Interest groups/PAC’s support incumbents, average cost of House race 1.5 million, 9.7million for Senate • GERRYMANDERING FOR HOUSE

24. Successful Incumbents – Constant/Effective Campaigners • Always raising $$ • Meeting with constituents – travel D.C. to Home district – staying visible • Serving constituents • Credit claiming - earmarks • High tech politics – databases John Dingell of Michigan – retired at 90. Spent 59 years and 21 days in HOR John Conyers @ 87 is the longest serving current member at almost 52 years of service.

25. Soooo – why run against an incumbent? • Challengers don’t poll – (no $) rely on friends/supporters – not accurate – naïve about their chances • A scandal could weaken an incumbent • People who are really mad – sometimes want to boot the incumbent • Redistricting could give an opening – wait – what is redistricting?

26. Redistricting is redrawing the lines for the district

27. Gerrymandering Manipulating the outcome through redistricting

28. How does gerrymandering work? • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mky11UJb9AY • http://ed.ted.com/lessons/gerrymandering-how-drawing-jagged-lines-can-impact-an-election-christina-greer

29. Gerrymandering works in 2 different ways: Packing Concentrate the oppositionin a few districts Cracking Make sure you create as many “safe” districts as possible by spreading out opposition

30. One of Southeast Michigan’s gerrymandered districts

31. Best chance to win is… An open seat…

32. You are running for the House against an incumbent – why are you less likely to win even if you have a TON of money You are running for the Senate against an incumbent – why are you less susceptible to incumbency advantage Exit Ticket 11.2

33. Assess the roles of leaders, political parties, and committees in Congress. • Students will be able to successfully compare the two chambers of Congress in organization, leadership and responsibilities. Learning Target 11.3

34. American Bicameralism • 2 chambers • All states are also bicameral(all but Nebraska – unicameral) • 2 senators per state • At least one rep – by population • No bill can pass unless both chambers agree • Each chamber can veto the policies of the other

35. The House • Four times as big as the Senate • More centralized • More hierarchical • More disciplined • More party loyalty to leadership • More party-line voting • Freshman

36. Big jobs of the House • Initiate all revenue bills • Impeach officials

37. The Senate • Protect interests of elite • Counteract House protecting commoners • Decentralized • Less disciplined • Equal power – sort of

38. Big jobs of the Senate • Confirms many presidential nominations • Tries impeached officials • Approves treaties

39. Congressional Leadership Much of the leadership is party leadership A few formal posts chosen by non-party procedures Real power is held by those the party put there

40. Speaker of the House The only legislative office mandated by the Constitution Although the Constitution does not require the Speaker to be a member of the House, all Speakers have been members. When a Congress convenes for the first time, each major party conference or caucus nominates a candidate for Speaker. Members customarily elect the Speaker by roll call vote.

41. Speaker of the House • Presides over the House when in session • Plays a major role in making committee assignments, which are coveted by all members to ensure their reelection • Appoints or plays a key role in appointing the party’s legislative leaders and the party leadership staff • Exercises substantial control over assigning bills to committees

42. Speaker of the House – informal powers • Has a lot of clout (you’re welcome) • Serves as national spokesperson for the party (if from a different party than the President.) • Knows all the party members of the House – and where they buried the bodies • Keeps party unified • Passes legislation that the party supports

43. Other House leaders • Kevin McCarthy-majority leader • Main stepping-stone to Speaker • Elected by the party • Schedules bills for a vote • Rounds up votes • Steve Scalise – Majority Whip • Let’s members know what party’s position is on bills • Counts votes BEFORE the vote • Leans on waverers • Reports complaints from members to party

44. Minority Party has same leadership – ready to take over if they win back the chamber Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi Steny Hoyer – Minority Whip

45. V.P – President of the Senate • Much less power than the Speaker • Possibly from the minority party • May have never served in Congress • Cannot debate • Votes only to break a tie

46. President Pro Tempore (of the Senate) • 3 heartbeats away from the White house • Succeeds to presidency after the VP and Speaker of the House • Orrin Hatch from Utah

47. Senate Majority and Minority Leaders • Corrals votes • Schedules floor action • Influences committee assignments • The most equal among equals Mitch McConnell (AKA: The Turtle Charles Schumer http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4521039/role-history-senate-majority-leaders

48. What happens if they don’t listen to the leadership? • Not much • Bob Dole – called it “Majority Pleader” because elected by members – they have please them or be booted out….

49. Two main goals of leadership • Make policy • Maintain a majority • Used to be pretty easy in the House especially • Fractures in the parties make it more difficult to pass legislation

50. The Committees and Subcommittees • Most real work done in committee. • Committees are central to congressional policymaking • Control the congressional agenda • Guide legislation • Hold hearings to investigate problems or wrongdoings • Oversee the executive branch