Congress: The Basics

1. Congress: The Basics Essential Information

2. IV. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, theBureaucracy, and the Federal Courts35–45% A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power B. Relationships among these four institutions and varying balances of power C. Linkages between institutions and the following: 1. Public opinion and voters 2.Interest groups 3. Political parties 4. The media 5. State and local governments

3. HW: Read chapter 7 pp. 228 – 260 by 10/1 A day & 10/2 B day

4. Answer this question • Should Congress reflect the will of the people? • Or should they pay attention to their own points of view, even if they disagree with their constituents?

5. Legislative Branch = Congress • Location in Constitution • Article I • Term of Congress = 2 years • 2 one year Sessions • Session = January-December

6. Connecticut Compromise • Bicameral Legislature • two chambers • Senate & House of Representatives • Senate • states represented equally • House of Representatives • states represented according to the size of their population - population represented equally • in 1789 1:30,000 / Today 1:600,000

7. Why is Congress bicameral?

8. What are the differences between the House and the Senate?

9. What are the differences between the House and the Senate?

10. Special Powers

11. Constituency The people a politician represents • Senate • people living in the state • House of Representatives • people living in the district

12. Size and apportionment • Reapportionment = reallocation • Constitution guarantees at least 1 representative per state • 7 states with one seat • Congress reapportions House seats every 10 years, after a census • Reapportionment Act of 1929 set permanent size of the House at 435 members. • 1 seat = about 700,000 people • Increases or decreases the number of seats a state has in the House plus electoral votes • Influence increases with representation

13. Districts • 1842: • Congress stipulated all seats in the House would be filled from single member districts • each state legislature assigned the responsibility of drawing the boundary lines of its congressional district.

14. Figure 7.2: What is gerrymandering?

15. What is gerrymandering? • Legislative process by which the majority party in each state legislature redraws congressional districts to ensure the maximum number of seats for its candidates • Consequences? • Protects incumbents and discourages challenger • Strengthens majority party while weakening the opposition • Increases or decreases minority representation

17. Supreme Court and redistricting • Historically rural areas dominated state legislatures, so congressional districts often favored less populous rural areas. • Wesberry v Sanders (1964) – “one person, one vote” • Triggered widespread redistricting • Gave cities and suburbs greater representation • Limits on redistricting: • Districts must be equally populated • Districts must be compact. Lines must be contiguous • Cannot dilute minority voting strength • Districts lines CANNOT be drawn based solely on race, but race can be a factor • Gerrymandering has not been eliminated

19. Legislative Branch • Seniority • length of time spent in office • length of continuous time spent assigned to a particular committee • committee assignments & reelection of incumbents • Incumbents • Single most important factor in determining outcome of election • person currently holding public office and seeking reelection • Over 90% get reelected each term in the House of Representatives • in the Senate, incumbents are reelected at a rate over 75%

20. To Learning Objectives

21. Table 7.4: What are the advantages of incumbency? Money $$$$ - raise more campaign contributions PACs contribute more to incumbents outpend challengers 2:1

22. Why are incumbents reelected? • More multiple choice questions related to this paradox than any other topic: • A majority of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing. • Same polls report that most Americans believe their own representative deserves to be reelected. Make sure you can explain the reasons why incumbents are usually reelected.

23. Consequences? • Congress contains a large number of experienced leaders • Continuity of leadership • Continuity of policy • Continuity discourages radical change • Encourages close relationships with interest groups • No incentive to reform campaign finance laws • Incumbents benefit

24. So, is the high rate of reelection a good thing or a bad thing? Explain.

25. Watch this video and answer the following: This clip shows: • The power of committee chairmen • Congressional oversight of departments The video clip shows lively banter between the Committee Oversight & Government Reform Chairman Darryl Issa and Department of Labor officials regarding a change in the process for reporting labor statistics. • Who has a great deal of influence over the issues that the committee chooses to investigate? • The committee chair of any committee is typically a member of the ______________?(hint: which party?) • Why might this discussion be described as “partisan”?

26. How Congress is organized • Role of Political parties • Key role in organization • Majority party = party with the most votes • Minority party = party with the 2nd most votes • Majority party advantages • Committee chairs • Chooses Speaker of the House • Assigns bills to committees • Holds majority on each committee • Controls the House Rules committee • Sets the legislative agenda

27. The House of Representatives • More formal structure than the Senate; why? • Example: debate is much more restricted • Speaker of the House • Presides over the House • Oversees House business • Stands second in line for presidential succession • Other House leaders • Majority leader – elected leader of the party in control • Minority leader – elected leader of the minority party • Elected whips – maintain close contact with members & try to ensure party unity on important votes

28. The Senate • Smaller, less formally organized • Vice President • Constitution: president of the Senate • Other Senate leaders • President pro temp presides in the absence of the vice president; held by a member of the majority party with the longest service in the Senate. • Majority leader – elected leader of the party that controls the Senate; this is the true leader of the Senate • Minority leader – elected leader of the minority party

29. Committee System • Importance • Dominant role in policymaking • Particularly in the House • Standing committees • Permanent; focus on legislation in a particular area • ex: foreign relations, agriculture • All bills referred to standing committees: amended, passed, killed • Fosters development of expertise • Divided into subcommittees (ex: committee on Energy and Commerce, subcommittee on Environment and the Economy)

30. Other types of committees • Select committees – formed for a specific purpose, for a limited time • Usually to conduct an investigation (Senate Special Committee on Aging) • Joint committees – include members of both houses • Focus public attention on a major issue • Ex: Joint Committee on Taxation • Conference Committees • Temporary • Resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill • Members appointed by party leaders • From the committees that originally considered the bill

31. House Rules committee • Controlled by the Speaker • “traffic cop”, Speaker’s “right arm” • Sets guidelines for floor debate • Gives each bill a rule that places it on the calendar, limits time for debate, determines the type of amendments that will be allowed • Closed rule • Strict time limits on debates • Forbids amendments from the floor • Open rule • Less strict time limits on debates • Permits amendments from the floor

32. Committees • House Committee on Ways and Means • Taxation, tariffs, other revenue raising measure • Committee Chairs and the Committee System • Chairs have great power and privilege • Call meetings • schedule hearings • hire staff • Recommend majority members to sit on conference committees • Select all subcommittee chairs • Receive favors from lobbyists, contribution from PACs

33. Committee Chairs • Historically: chosen by seniority system • Majority party member with the most continuous service on the committee automatically became the chair • Now elected • Seniority is still the norm for selecting chairs in both chambers

34. Legislative Process • 5,000 bills introduced each year • Only about 125, or 2.5%, become laws • Process • Lengthy, deliberate, fragmented • Formidable obstacles that defeat most bills

35. Creating bills • Anyone can write a bill • Most are not written by members of Congress • Most originate in the executive branch • Business, labor, agriculture and other interest groups often draft bills • Only members of Congress can introduce bills • Drop them in the “hopper”, a box hanging on the edge of the clerk’s desk.

36. Process • Committees • Subcommittee – study, hearing, revisions, approval • Most bills die in committee (pigeonholed or buried) • House: discharge petition can blast a bill out of committee – needs majority of the House • Floor Action • House: Rules Committee decides time for debate, if amendments are allowed • Floor debate & vote • Senate: allows unlimited debate • Filibuster, cloture • Senators can threaten filibuster

37. Conference Action • Made up of members from original House and Senate committees • this version is returned to each chamber for a vote How Members Vote • delegate model: cast votes that reflect preference of constituents • Trustee model: use best judgment to make policy in the interests of the people

39. Congress & the Executive Branch • Oversight • Review of executive agencies, departments or offices • Senate confirms cabinet heads and presidential appointments to federal courts • Methods of oversight • Guidelines for new agencies • Hearings and investigations • Budget control • Reorganizing an agency • Evaluating an agency’s program

40. Congress & the Executive Branch • Foreign Policy • Constitutional division of power • Congress declares war; Senate ratifies treaties • President = Commander-in-chief; can wage war and negotiate treaties • War Powers Resolution( most exams ask about this) • Passed by Congress in 1973 • Response to Vietnam • Ensures Congress has a voice in presidential decisions committing troops • President must notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying troops and • Must bring troops home within 60 -90 days unless Congress extends it