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Today’s Agenda

Today’s Agenda. The Federal Legislature (Congress) Why do we hate you so much?! Why don’t you ever work? How does it work? Do Politicians only want to stay in power? Is this really bad for democracy?. Good People?. We Hate Congress, Not Our Representatives. Congress!.

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Today’s Agenda

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  1. Today’s Agenda • The Federal Legislature (Congress) • Why do we hate you so much?! • Why don’t you ever work? • How does it work? • Do Politicians only want to stay in power? • Is this really bad for democracy?

  2. Good People?

  3. We Hate Congress, Not Our Representatives

  4. Congress! • The framers intended for the legislative branch to be the center of policymaking. • You now know more about Congress than most people in the country

  5. Congress! • The framers intended for the legislative branch to be the center of policymaking. • You now know more about Congress than most people in the country • We don’t like Congress, in part, because it functions as the framers intended • Federal government made to be broken • Congress is made to move slowly (thoughtfully)

  6. Bicameral • House • Senate • Efficient?

  7. Vote cycling experiment • A. Everyone gets a B, but no one has to do any work. • B. All papers • C. No more papers but a midterm and final exam. • Lazy bones A>B>C • Goodie goodies B>C>A • Paper haters C>A>B

  8. The U.S. Senate • Not elected in the original Constitution • Serve six years • Represent an entire state • One of two people in each state • 100 total • Better behaved • Filibuster • Cloture

  9. House Members???

  10. The U.S. House • Elected by the people (from the beginning) • Two year terms • Represent a small part of a state • Districts drawn by population • One for each 650K people • One of many members of each state • 7 in Colorado • 435 in U.S.

  11. How a Bill Becomes a Law

  12. How a Bill Becomes a Law:The Short Version

  13. Committees and Subcommittees Who controls the committees and subcommittees in Congress? • The President has control • Whichever party has the most members in Congress • The Supreme Court decides • Control is based on “seniority” alone

  14. Mr. Smith Goes to waashington • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZFRP67sX8o

  15. The Original Gerrymander

  16. 4th District in Illinois

  17. David Mayhew • Do our representatives care about getting reelected? • If so, how do they show it? • Advertising (building a brand) • Credit claiming (getting goodies for the peeps) • Taking a position!

  18. 1) Advertising • Provide services to your constituents • Help people with the local bureaucracy • Help people with a local issue • Do stuff for the people you represent • Birthday cards! • Anniversary wishes • Letters of condolence

  19. Bring Home the Bacon! • Bring Federal money and projects to the state • Get some of the federal pie • Military bases • School funds • Bridges • Highways • Federal labs • Etc…

  20. The King of Pork? "One man's pork is another man's job. Pork has been good investment in West Virginia. You can look around and see what I've done." Robert Byrd’s Remarks made March 15, 2001 during Senate floor debate.

  21. The King of Pork? Robert C. Byrd, Senator from WV • Robert C. Byrd Drive, from Beckley to Sophia (Byrd's hometown) • Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center at Wheeling Jesuit University • Robert C. Byrd Highway • Robert C. Byrd Federal Correctional Institution • Robert C. Byrd High School • Robert C. Byrd Freeway • Robert C. Byrd Center for Hospitality and Tourism • Robert C. Byrd Science Center • Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center of West Virginia • Robert C. Byrd Cancer Research Center • Robert C. Byrd Technology Center at Alderson-Broaddus College  • Robert C. Byrd Hardwood Technologies Center, near Princeton • Robert C. Byrd Bridge between Huntington and Chesapeake, Ohio • Robert C. Byrd addition to the lodge at Oglebay Park, Wheeling • Robert C. Byrd Community Center, Pine Grove Source: Citizen’s Against Government Waste (www.cagw.org)

  22. 3) Take Positions on National Issues • Speeches on the floor of Congress • Casting symbolic votes • Going on the TV news circuit • Etc…

  23. How to Stay in Office • Advertising (building a brand) • Credit claiming (getting goodies for the peeps) • Taking a position! • Be an incumbent

  24. The Incumbency Advantage

  25. How to Stay in Office • Advertising (building a brand) • Credit claiming (getting goodies for the peeps) • Taking a position! • Be an incumbent • Be in the House (not the Senate)

  26. Logrolling • Give me something • I’ll give you something • Again, a good way to work around the constraints of • The broken, slow government • And the constraint of getting re-elected • Hey! Look what I brought home!!! • Pork!

  27. How to Be Efficient • The Committees and Subcommittees • They DO the work of Congress • Committees work on 10,000+ bills every year. • Most hold hearings. • “Mark up” meetings involve drafting laws for consideration by the chamber.

  28. Polarization: House

  29. Polarization: Senate

  30. Moderates: House

  31. Moderates: Senate

  32. Mr. Smith Goes to waashington • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pwjGWUrlHM&feature=related

  33. Clint Eastwood

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