Congress 11
Video: The Big Picture 11 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/ssa_shared_med IA_1/polisci/presidency/Edwards_Ch11_Congress_Seg1_v 2.html
Learning Objectives 11 11.1 11.2 Characterize the backgrounds of members of Congress and assess their impact on the ability of members of Congress to represent average Americans Identify the principal factors influencing the outcomes in congressional elections
Learning Objectives 11 11.3 Compare and contrast the House and Senate, and describe the roles of congressional leaders, committees, caucuses, and staff 11.4 Outline the path of bills to passage and explain the influences on congressional decision making
Learning Objectives 11 11.5 Assess Congress s role as a representative body and the impact of representation on the scope of government
Video: The Basics 11 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/ssa_shared_med IA_1/polisci/presidency/Seg2_Congress_v2.html
Representatives and Senators 11.1 Members Why Aren t There More Women in Congress?
Members 11.1 Not a glamorous job, but there are perks n Power n $174,000 annual salary n Generous retirement and health benefits Constitutional requirements n House: 25, citizen for 7 years n Senate: 30, citizen for 9 years n Reside in state n 435 Representatives; 100 senators
TABLE 11.1: Portrait of the 113th Congress: Some statistics 11.1
Members 11.1 Demographics n Descriptive versus substantive representation
Arab-American Heritage festival 11.1
Why Aren t There More Women in Congress? 11.1 Fewer women running n Childcare n Risk averse Bias n Must be more qualified
11.1 How old do you have to be to run for the office of senator? 11.1 a. 25 b. 35 c. 30 d. 21
11.1 How old do you have to be to run for the office of senator? 11.1 a. 25 b. 35 c. 30 d. 21
Congressional Elections 11.2 Who Wins Elections? Advantages of Incumbency Role of Party Identification Defeating Incumbents Open Seats Stability and Change
Who Wins Elections? 11.2 Incumbents n Over 90% win reelection in House n Senators do not have it as easy Incumbents perceive themselves as vulnerable n Hence fundraising and campaigning
FIGURE 11.1: Incumbency factor in congressional elections 11.2
Advantages of Incumbency 11.2 Advertising n Constituent contact Credit claiming n Casework n Pork barrel projects
Big Dig 11.2
Advantages of Incumbency 11.2 Position taking Weak opponents Campaign spending
Role of Party Identification 11.2 Parties and districts n Drawn for one-party dominance
Defeating Incumbents 11.2 Challengers are naïve n But sometimes incumbents are vulnerable Redistricting Public mood
Open Seats and Stability and Change 11.2 Vacant seat = no incumbent running n Most turnover occurs here Stability from incumbency n Development of expertise Term limits?
11.2 Why do incumbents have such a strong electoral advantage? 11.2 a. They attract more campaign contributions b. They can use the congressional franking privilege c. They have more name recognition d. All of the above
11.2 Why do incumbents have such a strong electoral advantage? 11.2 a. They attract more campaign contributions b. They can use the congressional franking privilege c. They have more name recognition d. All of the above
How Congress is Organized to Make Policy 11.3 American Bicameralism Congressional Leadership Committees and Subcommittees Caucuses: Informal Organization of Congress Congressional Staff
American Bicameralism 11.3 Bicameral legislature n Bills must pass both houses n Checks and balances n Result of Connecticut Compromise House n More institutionalized and seniority-based n Rules Committee Senate n Filibuster ends with 60 senator voting to halt (cloture) n Less centralized and seniority-based
TABLE 11.2: House versus Senate: Some key differences 11.3
Congressional Leadership 11.3 Chosen by party House n Speaker of the House n Majority and minority leaders n Whips Senate n Vice president n Majority leader
Congressional Leadership 11.3
Committees and Subcommittees 11.3 Four types of committees n Standing committees handle bills in difference areas n Joint committees join both houses in different policy areas n Conference committees created to reconcile different versions of same bill n Select committees created to deal with a policy issue, temporary or permanent.
TABLE: 11.3: Standing committees in the Senate and in the House 11.3
Committees and Subcommittees 11.3 Committees at work: Legislation n Legislative oversight
Congressional committee at work 11.3
TABLE 11.4: Sharing oversight of homeland security 11.3
Committees and Subcommittees 11.3 Getting on a committee n Constituent needs n Appealing to leadership
Caucuses: Informal Organization of Congress 11.3 As important as formal structure Dominated by caucuses n 500 caucuses today n Goal is to promote their interests n Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus
Congressional Hispanic Caucus 11.3
Congressional Staff 11.3 Personal staff n Casework n Legislative functions Committee staff n 2,000 staff members n Legislative oversight Staff agencies n Congressional Research Service (CRS) n Government Accountability Office (GAO) n Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
11.3 How many staff members does Congress employ to help it do its job? 11.3 a. More than 11,000 b. 3,200 c. Less than 2,000 d. Staff are volunteers from the member s constituency, and their numbers vary
11.3 How many staff members does Congress employ to help it do its job? 11.3 a. More than 11,000 b. 3,200 c. Less than 2,000 d. Staff are volunteers from the member s constituency and their numbers vary
Video: In Context 11.3 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/ssa_shared_med IA_1/polisci/presidency/Seg3_Congress_v2.html
Congressional Process and Decision Making 11.4 Presidents and Congress: Partners and Protagonists Party, Constituency, and Ideology Lobbyists and Interest Groups
FIGURE 11.2: How a bill becomes a law 11.4
Presidents and Congress: Partners and Protagonists 11.4 President s legislative agenda n Persuade Congress n Work at the margins but usually win n Yet Congress is quite independent
Party, Constituency, and Ideology 11.4 Party influence n Economic and social welfare policies Polarized politics n Parties more internally homogeneous n Less likelihood of compromise
FIGURE 11.3: Increasing polarization in Congress 11.4
Video: Thinking Like a Political Scientist 11.4 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/ssa_shared_med IA_1/polisci/presidency/Seg4_Congress_v2.html
Party, Constituency, and Ideology 11.4 Constituency opinion versus member ideology n Trustees versus instructed delegates
Lobbyists and Interest Groups 11.4 D.C. is crawling with lobbyists n 12,000 of them n Spent $3 billion in 2011 n Former members of Congress How lobbyists persuade n Provide policy information n Provide promises of money n Ghostwrite legislation n Status quo usually wins Disclosure requirements
Explore the Simulation: You Are a Consumer Advocate 11.4 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/long/long_longman_media _1/2013_mpsl_sim/simulation.html?simulaURL=7
11.4 On what tactics do lobbyists rely to influence policy in Congress? 11.4 a. Promising money for reelection campaigns b. Providing expert policy information c. Ghostwriting legislation d. All of the above
11.4 On what tactics do lobbyists rely to influence policy in Congress? 11.4 a. Promising money for reelection campaigns b. Providing expert policy information c. Ghostwriting legislation d. All of the above
Explore Congress: Can Congress Get Anything Done? 11.4 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/long/long_edwards_mpslgi a_16/pex/pex11.html
Understanding Congress 11.5 Congress and Democracy Congress and the Scope of Government
Congress and Democracy 11.5 Democracy depends upon successful representation Congress unrepresentative n Members are elites n Leadership chosen, not elected n Senate based on states, not population Obstacles to good representation n Constituent service n Reelection campaigns Representativeness versus Effectiveness
Congress and the Scope of Government 11.5 Does size of government increase to please public? n Pork barrel spending Contradictory preferences n Against large government, for individual programs
11.5 How does the Senate undermine democratic representation? 11.5 a. Its members tend not to show up for roll call votes b. It is forbidden from overriding a presidential veto c. It represents states rather than people d. None of the above
11.5 How does the Senate undermine democratic representation? 11.5 a. Its members tend not to show up for roll call votes b. It is forbidden from overriding a presidential veto c. It represents states rather than people d. None of the above
Video: In the Real World 11.0 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/ssa_shared_med IA_1/polisci/presidency/Seg5_Congress_v2.html
Discussion Questions 11 Based on what you have learned in this chapter, do you prefer the trustee or instructed delegate model of representation? Which model is closer to the system we have now?
Video: So What? 11 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/ssa_shared_med IA_1/polisci/presidency/Edwards_Ch11_Congress_Seg6_v. html
Further Review: On MyPoliSciLab 11 Listen to the Chapter Study and Review the Flashcards Study and Review the Practice Tests