CONGRESS The Capitol Building
The Capitol Building The architecture and floor plan of the Capitol building in Washington reflect the bicameral division of Congress
The Powers of Congress: Article I *Section One: bicameral legislature *Section Four: congressional election process *Section Two: length of terms for House *Section Seven: how a members and bill becomes a law qualifications for service *Section Three: selection *Section Eight: powers of the legislative branch of Senators, length of terms
Constitutional Foundations of the Modern Congress *The framers of the Constitution were ambivalent about democracy and concerned about the possibility of government tyranny. *Fear that power in the hands of a single individual would be abused and the people would suffer. *They wanted an energetic government, with the legislative branch as the center of policymaking. *Yet they also limited Congressional power * bicameralism * bills of attainder * ex post facto laws * habeas corpus * separation of powers * checks and balances
Drawing the District Lines *Apportionment *Established through the Great Compromise *Seats in the U. S. House of Representatives are apportioned to the states on the basis of their population after every tenyear census and on equal representation in the Senate. *Reapportionment *In the 1910 census, the House limited the total number of districts to 435, so now some states gain and some states lose each time we count. *Malapportionment *Unequal numbers of people in legislative districts resulting in inequality of voter representation.
Drawing the District Lines *Every district has roughly 650, 000 people, except states like Wyoming which has only 580, 000 *Every state is guaranteed at least one member. *Redistricting *When the census is final each state is told how many districts it now has—then state legislatures draw district lines * To accommodate population shifts and to keep districts as equal as possible *Gerrymandering *When districts are drawn to help or hurt a political party, group or incumbent
Congressional Elections *Where Representatives and Senators are Elected *Predicting Congressional Elections *The 2010 Congressional Elections *The Campaigns *Election Day *Explaining The Results
Representation and Democracy *Styles of representation *two principal styles of representation in 1774. *Delegate theory *Trustee theory *Senators (who have longer terms of office) usually have more latitude than representatives to assume the trustee style.
The Job of the Legislator *Legislators as Representatives *Legislators as Lawmakers *Policy and Philosophical Convictions *Voters *Congressional colleagues (other legislators) *Congressional Staff *Party *Interest Groups *The President
Quick Assessment List 5 influential agents on legislators that shape their lawmaking decisions. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Race, Gender and Occupation in Congress *Gender *Race *African Americans *Hispanics *Others *Occupation *dominance of law, business, and banking *lack of blue-collar representation *Is it important that Congress be demographically representative of the American people?
Diversity in Congress
Reapportionment, 2010
Advantages of Incumbency
How Congress Works *Congress remains the most influential and independent legislature among Western democratic nations. Political Parties in Congress *At the opening of each new Congress, parties in the two houses hold caucuses to organize their legislative business and select their leadership.
Political Parties in Congress *Party composition of Congress *Party voting in Congress *Party discipline Congressional Leadership *The political parties work through the leadership structure of Congress. *Leaders of the majority political party are also the leaders of the House and Senate.
Congressional Leadership Leading the House • Speaker of the House • Majority Leaders • Minority Leaders • Whips • House Rules Committee • Closed • Open Leading the Senate • President pro tempore • Majority leader • Minority leader • Whips • Individual senators have power • Filibuster • Cloture
Organization of Congress Majority Leader Minority Leader Steering Democratic Conference Policy Republican Caucus
Managing Congress (continue) *Types of Committees *Choosing Committee Members *The Role of Seniority *Investigations and Oversight *The Special Role of Conference Committees
Legislative oversight of the executive branch (Bureaucratic Oversight & Investigations) *Reviewing the performance of executive branch agencies to ensure that laws are being properly administered and that power is not being abused *Primarily managed by the committees and subcommittees *Special committees may conduct investigations or hold hearings, such as Supreme Court confirmation hearings *Hearings are an important part of the process.
Congressional Committees *Most of the work of Congress takes place in its committees and subcommittees. *Why Congress has committees *Types of committees *standing committees *subcommittees *select committees *joint committees *conference committees *Committee assignments *Committee and subcommittee chairs
Congressional Standing and Select Committees House Senate Joint Committees Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Ed. and the Workforce Energy and Commerce Financial Services Government Reform House Administration International Relations Judiciary Resources Rules Science, Space & Tech. Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Economics Appropriations Printing Armed Services Taxation Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs On the Library Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs Health, Education, and Pensions Indian Affairs Judiciary
Congressional Standing and Select Committees House Senate Joint Committees Select Intelligence Small Business Standards of Official Conduct Transportation and Infrastructure Veterans’ Affairs Ways and Means Rules and Administration Select Ethics Select Intelligence Small Business Special Aging Veterans’ Affairs
Rules and Norms Until recently, many norms guided the behavior of members of Congress. Members were supposed to specialize in a small number of issues, defer to members with longer tenure in office, never criticize anyone personally, and wait their turn to speak and introduce legislation. *Reciprocity *Senate *bills scheduled by unanimous consent *filibuster & cloture *House *more rule-bound *more hierarchical
The Legislative Obstacle Course
Legislative Responsibilities: How a Bill Becomes a Law *It is extremely difficult to make law because it is relatively easy to block bills from becoming laws. *Only about 6 percent of all bills that are introduced are enacted into law.
Legislative Responsibilities: How a Bill Becomes a Law *Introducing a bill *Committee action and review *Floor action *Floor Debate and Passage *Conference committee *The Importance of Compromise *Presidential action *sign into law *veto *pocket veto
Quick Assessment List the different types of congressional committees 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Quick Assessment List in chronological order how a bill becomes a law 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. *Conference committee *Introducing bill in the House & Senate *Floor Debate and Passage *Subcommittee hearings *Executive action *Committee action
Quick Assessment List 3 similarities and 3 differences between the House and Senate 1. 2. 3.
Congress: An Assessment and a View on Reform *Congress as Policymaker *Frequent criticisms of Congress *Yet, the evidence is mixed *Other Criticisms of Congress *Congress is Inefficient *Congress is Unrepresentative
Congress: An Assessment and a View on Reform *Other Criticisms of Congress *Congress is Unethical *Congress Lacks Collective Responsibility *A Defense of Congress *Americans tend to approve of their own representatives and senators, but have low regard for Congress as an institution
Congressional Approval
Difference Between the House of Representatives and the Senate House Two-year terms 435 members Smaller constituencies Less personal staff Equal populations represented Less flexible rules Limited debate More policy specialists Less media coverage Less prestige Less reliance on staff More powerful committee leaders Senate Six-year terms 100 members Larger constituencies More personal staff States represented More flexible rules Extended debate Policy generalists More media coverage More prestige More reliance on staff More equal distribution of power
Difference Between the House of Representatives and the Senate House Senate Very important committees 20 major committees Nongermane amendments (riders) not allowed Important Rules Committee Some bills permit no floor Amendments (closed rule) Less important committees 20 major committees Nongermane amendments (riders) not allowed Special treaty ratification power Special “advise and consent” confirmation power Filibuster allowed
A Day in the Life of a Member
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