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Congress IV- Voting

Congress IV- Voting. 3/27/2012. Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: identify and explain the role of formal and informal institutions and their effect on policy.

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Congress IV- Voting

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  1. Congress IV- Voting 3/27/2012

  2. Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form • Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: • identify and explain the role of formal and informal institutions and their effect on policy. • to understand and interpret the United States Constitution and apply it to present policy dilemmas. • to assess the 2010 and 2012 elections without resorting to partisan bickering.

  3. Office Hours and Readings • Chapter 4 (pp. 110-129) • Office Hours • Today 11-2 • Wednesday 10-2

  4. Voting in the Senate • 51 votes in theory, 60 in reality • Filibuster • Cloture • Reconciliation

  5. The Final Steps • Must Pass both Houses in Identical Form • Conference Committee • Sign or Veto • Finally Becomes Law

  6. Committees and the committee system

  7. Why Committees • Division of Labor • Participation • Specialization

  8. The Role of Committees • Process all the work • Filter Legislation • Where most legislation dies

  9. Standing Committees • Permanent entities • 19 in the House • about 42 per committee • 16 in the Senate • 20 per committee • Membership reflects party proportion.

  10. Other Committees • Conference Committee • Joint Committees • Select Committees

  11. Subcommittees • Within a standing committee • Provides more expertise, but slows things down

  12. Not all committees are created equal

  13. You want to be a chair • Selected by party leaders • Chairs wield vast power • PACS give money to chairs and ranking members

  14. Committee Types • Reelection Power • Prestige/power within the body • Policy

  15. Committees- Good and Bad • In the House • In the Senate • What you don’t want

  16. "The most accurate form of public opinion polling is the vote."Walter Dean Burnham

  17. It Says Very Little Voting in the constitution

  18. What The Constitution Says • Article I Section 2 • Article I Section 4

  19. Civil War Amendments • 14th- Male and 21 for federal elections • 15th- Cannot Deny on the condition of race or previous servitude

  20. 17th Amendment (1913) • Senators will be elected by the people • This Ends appointment by state legislature

  21. 19th Amendment • Wyoming is the first state to grant women’s suffrage • states cannot deny the right to vote on account of sex

  22. Recent Expansions • 23rd Amendment • 26th Amendment • Expanding to win

  23. The Role of the States • States still can control who votes as long as they do not violate the federal law • Restrictions Today

  24. Three Big Things Who Votes

  25. Factor 1: Age

  26. Age and Voting • Older People vote more • Why • Curvilinear relationship!

  27. Factor 2: Education

  28. Education and Voting • This is a linear relationship • Why do better educated people vote more?

  29. Other Effects of Education

  30. Education and Age in 2008

  31. Factor 3: Income

  32. Income and Voting • Wealthy people vote at higher Rates • Related to education • Lower Information Costs

  33. Other Factors • Partisanship • Previous Voting History

  34. Why Young People do not vote

  35. Registration

  36. Why Young People Don’t Vote • Are Unfamiliar with the system- • Are one step above Gypsies • Have less formal and political education

  37. Low Social Capital • Writings of Robert Putnam • Are not connected to the community • As a Result, have low interest in politics

  38. High and low stimulus elections: The Saw-tooth Pattern Turnout in Recent Elections

  39. Presidential elections • Why Higher • What is the Result- the exciting saw-tooth pattern

  40. Turnout in 2004 • Higher than 2000, which was supposed to favor Democrats • Why Higher Turnout • Who it helped?

  41. Voter Turnout in 2008 • 130 Million voted, 61% which was the highest rate since 1968 • Where was turnout up? • Best States • Worst States

  42. People expected more Voters in 2008 • Only slightly higher than 2004 • 18-29 year olds did not increase greatly • Why No increase?

  43. Turnout in 2010 • Very Similar to 2006 • A Smaller Electorate than 2008 • 42% overall

  44. Midyear Tends to be boring

  45. Low Motivation from The Left • Every Democratic Group claimed responsibility for President Obama’s Victory • Supporters wanted immediate policy change on their issue

  46. Who Voted • GOP was more energized • More conservative • Older • Whiter

  47. Groups most likely to vote Democratic stayed at home, and enabled the GOP to win at all levels

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