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Transcript of AP Gov't Congress
CongressThe Legislative Branch
Article I
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Chapter 12: Congress
• The Representatives and Senators• Congressional Elections• How Congress Is Organized to Make
Policy• The Congressional Process• Understanding Congress• Summary
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives
• The Representatives and Senators• LO 12.1: Characterize the backgrounds of
members of Congress and assess their impact on the ability of members of Congress to represent average Americans.
• Congressional Elections• LO 12.2: Identify the principal factors
influencing the outcomes in congressional elections.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives• How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy• LO 12.3: Compare and contrast the House
and Senate, and describe the roles of congressional leaders, committees, caucuses, and staff.
• The Congressional Process• LO 12.4: Outline the path of bills to passage
and explain the influences on congressional decision making.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Chapter Outline and Learning Objectives
• Understanding Congress• LO 12.5: Assess Congress’s role as a
representative body and the impact of representation on the scope of government.
The Representatives and SenatorsLO 12.1: Characterize the backgrounds of members of Congress and assess their impact on the ability of members of Congress to represent average Americans.
• The Members• Compensation• Duties
To Learning ObjectivesCopyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Representatives and Senators
• The Members• 535 Members – 100 Senators and 435
Representatives.• House members – At least age 25 and
U.S. citizens for 7 years.• Senators – At least age 30 and U.S.
citizens for 9 years.• All members must reside in state from
which they are elected.
LO 12.1
To Learning Objectives
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Compensation
• About $175,000
• Benefits • Travel allowance• Insurance• Staff allowance• Postage (franking) • Protection from arrest
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Duties
• Legislator
• Committee member
• Constituent rep
• Constituent servant
• Politician
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Congress
• We are currently in the 115th Congress
• Congress
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
113th Congress• Pa Reps• Allyson Schwartz 13th –
Patrick Meehan – 7th -
• Jim Gerlach – 6th -
• 13th
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114th Congress• Pa Reps• Brenden Boyle 13th –
Patrick Meehan – 7th -
• Ryan Costello – 6th -
• 13th
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
115th Congress• Pa Reps• Brenden Boyle 13th –
Patrick Meehan – 7th -
• Ryan Costello – 6th -
• 13th
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Pa Congressional Districts
House of Representatives
• Total: 435 members• Apportioned(distributed) among the states
• Each state has at least one: Cali. has the most (2009) with 53
• Census every 10 years- reapportioned after every census.
Apportionment
Congressional(House) Elections
• Every 2 years, even numbered years• Single membered district• Each rep. represents about 600,000
citizens, or constituents
Redistricting
• If a state is to gain or lose seats after the census, the State legislature is charged with drawing new congressional districts– A method is gain political power is to draw
district to your parties advantage• Gerrymandering is the creation of unusually
shaped districts that favor the party in power
Elbridge Gerry – Salamander - Gerrymander
Redistricting
• “One Man, One Vote”– Baker v Carr, 1962
• Federal courts began hearing redistricting cases
– Wesberry v. Sanders, 1964• Size of Georgia's Congressional district ranged in
size• SC – size violated equal protection clause, “One
Man One Vote”
Redistricting
• In 1982 – push to create district to help racial minorities.
– Shaw v. Reno, 1993• White votes in NV challenge a racially drawn
district• SC – Race may be one factor in determining
boundaries, but it cannot be a major factor.
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
• Senate• R – 52• D – 46• I – 2
• House • R – 241• D - 194
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Representatives and Senators
• The Members (cont.)• African Americans make up about 10% of
the House members 46 of 435 and 13% of the total population, and 3 Senators are African American.
• Hispanics make up 8% of the House members 34 of 435 and 15% of the total population, and 4 Senators are Hispanics.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.1
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Representatives and Senators
• The Members (cont.)• Asian Americans – 12 House members
and 3 senators.
• Females make up more than 50% of the population, but only 19% of the members of Congress with 83 in the House and 21 senators.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.1
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Representatives and Senators
• The Members (cont.)• Descriptive representation is
representing constituents by mirroring their personal, politically relevant characteristics.
• Substantive representation is representing the interests of groups.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.1
To Learning ObjectivesCopyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.1
Senate
• 100 members total, 2 from each state
• 6 year term (1/3 Elected every 2 years)
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Congressional Elections
• Who Wins Elections?• Incumbents – Those already holding
office.• In congressional elections, incumbents
usually win.• House elections – 90% of the incumbents
seeking reelection win and most of them win with more than 60% of the vote.
LO 12.2
To Learning Objectives
To Learning ObjectivesCopyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.2
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Congressional Elections
• The Advantages of Incumbency• Name Recognition – “The Name You Know”
• Advertising – Ads in newspapers and on television.
• Credit Claiming – Servicing the constituency through casework and pork barrel.
• Position Taking – Voting and responding to constituents’ questions.
• Franking PrivilegeTo Learning Objectives
LO 12.2
To Learning ObjectivesCopyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.2
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Congressional Elections
• The Advantages of Incumbency (cont.)• Weak Opponents – Not well known or well
qualified and lack experience and organizational and financial backing.
• Campaign Spending – The typical incumbent outspent the typical challenger by a ratio of more than 3 to 1 in Congressional races in 2008.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.2
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Congressional Elections
• Role of Party Identification• Most Congress members represent
constituencies in which their party is in the clear majority.
• Most people identify with a party, and they reliably vote for their party’s candidates.
• About 90% of voters who identify with a party vote for the House candidates of their party.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.2
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Congressional Elections
• Defeating Incumbents• One tarnished by scandal or corruption
becomes vulnerable to a challenger.• Redistricting may weaken the incumbency
advantage.• Major political tidal wave may defeat
incumbents.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.2
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Congressional Elections
• Open Seats• Greater likelihood of competition.
• Most turnover occurs in open seats.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.2
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Congressional Elections
• Stability and Change• Incumbents provide stability in Congress.
• Change in Congress occurs less frequently through elections. Difficult for citizens to “send a message to Washington”
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.2
To Learning ObjectivesCopyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• House vs. Senate• House Rules Committee – The committee
in the House that reviews most bills coming from a House committee before they go to the full House.• Rules Committee is responsive to the House
leadership because the Speaker of the House appoints the committee’s members.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• House vs. Senate• Filibuster – A strategy unique to the
Senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation use their right to unlimited debate to prevent the Senate from ever voting on a bill.
• Sixty members present and voting can halt a filibuster. (cloture)
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Congressional Leadership• Speaker of the House – An office
mandated by the Constitution and chosen by the majority party.
• Majority leader – The principal partisan ally of the Speaker of the House, or the party’s manager in the Senate.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Leaders in the House of Representatives• Leaders
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Leaders in the Senate
• Leaders
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How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Congressional Leadership (cont.)• Whips – Party leaders work with the
majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers for votes on bills favored by the party.
• Minority Leader – The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Congressional Leadership (cont.)• President of the Senate – The United
States Vice President.• Vice presidents can vote to break a tie.• Modern vice presidents are active in
representing the president’s views to senators.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Congressional Leadership (cont.)• Despite their stature and power,
congressional leaders cannot always move their troops.
• Power in both houses of Congress is decentralized.
• Leaders are elected by their party members and must remain responsive to them.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Committees and Subcommittees• Standing committees – Subject matter
committees that handle bills in different policy areas.
• Joint committees – Few subject matter areas with membership drawn from House and Senate
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
To Learning ObjectivesCopyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Committees and Subcommittees (cont.)• Conference committees – Formed when
the Senate and the House pass a bill in different forms to iron out the differences and bring back a single bill.
• Select committees – Created for a specific purpose, such as the Watergate investigation.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Committees and Subcommittees (cont.)• More than 9,000 bills are submitted by
members in the course of a two-year period.
• Every bill goes to a committee, which has virtually the power of life and death over it.
• Legislative oversight – How the Congress monitors bureaucracy.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Committees and Subcommittees (cont.)• Committee assignments help members get
reelected, gain influence, and make policy.• New members express committee
preferences to party leaders.• Those who have supported their party’s
leadership are favored in the selection process as parties try to grant committee preferences.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Committees and Subcommittees (cont.)• Committee Chair – Dominant role in
scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills on the floor.
• Seniority System – Members who have served on the committee the longest and whose party is the chamber majority become chair.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Caucuses: The Informal Organization of Congress• Caucus (congressional) – A group of
members of Congress sharing some interest or characteristic.
• Caucuses are composed of members from both parties and from both houses and their goal is to promote the interests around which they are formed.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
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Caucuses
• Caucuses of the United States Congress
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How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy
• Congressional Staff• Personal staff – They provide constituent
service and help with legislation.• Committee staff – They organize
hearings, and research and write legislation.
• Staff Agencies – CRS, GAO, and CBO provide specific information to Congress.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.3
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Congressional Process
• Bills• About 9,000 bills are introduced in each
Congress.• A bill is a proposed law, drafted in legal
language.• Anyone can draft a bill, but only a member
of the Congress can introduce a bill.
LO 12.4
To Learning Objectives
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The Congressional Process
• How a Bill Becomes a Law• Bill Introduction – By a member.• Committee Action – Subcommittee hearings
and committee rewrites.• Floor Action – Votes, debates, and
amendments offered.• Conference Action – Compromise bill to iron
out differences. • Presidential Decision – Sign bill into law or
veto bill.To Learning Objectives
LO 12.4
To Learning ObjectivesCopyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.4
How a Bill Become a Law
• http://kidstube.com/play.php?vid=1923
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The Congressional Process
• Presidents and Congress: Partners and Protagonists• Presidents attempt to persuade Congress
that what they want is what Congress wants.
• Presidents have many resources to influence Congress.
• Presidents leadership of Congress is at the margins.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.4
How members vote:
• Trustee
• Delegate
• Partisan
• Politico
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Congressional Process
• Party, Constituency, and Ideology• Party Influence – Party leaders cannot
force party members to vote a particular way, but many do vote along party lines.
• Polarized Politics – Differences between Democrats and Republicans in Congress have grown considerably since 1980.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.4
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Congressional Process
• Party, Constituency, and Ideology• Constituency Opinion – On the
controversial issues, members are wise to vote based their constituency opinion.
• Member Ideology – The dominant determinant of member’s vote on most issues is their ideology.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.4
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
The Congressional Process
• Lobbyists and Interest Groups• 35,000 registered lobbyists represent
12,000 organizations seeking to influence Congress.
• The bigger the issue, the more lobbyists will be working on it.
• Lobbyists try to influence legislators’ votes.• Congress can ignore, reject, and regulate
the lobbyists.To Learning Objectives
LO 12.4
Expressed Powers
• Tax – raise revenue• Borrowing• Commerce – regulate trade• Currency• Bankruptcy• Foreign Affairs and Defense• “Power of the Purse”
Other Powers of Congress
• Naturalization• Post Office• Copyrights and patents• Weights and measures• Federal Lands• Federal Courts
Implied Powers
• Necessary and Proper Clause– Gives powers necessary to carry out
expressed powers
– “elastic clause” because it stretches the power of Congress
Congressional Oversight
• oversight by the United States Congress on the Executive Branch, including the numerous U.S. federal agencies. Congressional oversight refers to the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation
Non-Legislative Powers(Non-lawmaking powers)
• Amending the Constitution• Electoral powers – choose a president• Impeachment – Charge a federal official
with a crime• Executive powers – Senate – “advise and
consent” (Vote on) - president on treaties and presidential appointments
• Investigative powers
Legislator
• House
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
Understanding Congress
• Congress and the Scope of Government• More policies by Congress means more
service to constituencies.• More programs that get created, the bigger
the government gets.• Contradictory – Everybody wants
government programs cut, but just not their programs.
To Learning Objectives
LO 12.5
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.1Summary
• The Representatives and Senators• Congress has proportionately more whites and
males than the general population, and members of Congress are wealthier and better educated than the average American.
• Although they are not descriptively representative of Americans, they may engage in substantive representation.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.2Summary
• Congressional Elections• Incumbents usually win reelection, because
they usually draw weak opponents, are usually better known and better funded than their opponents, typically represent constituencies where a clear majority share their party affiliation, and can claim credit for aiding their constituents.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.2Summary
• Congressional Elections (cont.)• However, incumbents can lose if they are
involved in a scandal, if their policy positions are substantially out of line with their constituents, or if the boundaries of their districts are redrawn to reduce the percentage of their constituents identifying with their party.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.3Summary
• How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy• House is larger, characterized by greater
centralization of power in the party leadership, and has more party discipline than the Senate.
• Senators are more equal in power and may exercise the option of the filibuster to stop a majority from passing a bill.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.3Summary
• How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy (cont.)• Congressional leaders are elected by their party
members and must remain responsive to them.• Congressional leaders cannot always depend
on the votes of the members of their party.• Committees consider legislation and oversee
administration of policy.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.3Summary
• How Congress Is Organized to Make Policy (cont.)• Committees chairs have the power to set their
committees’ agendas.• Congressional Caucuses are composed of
members of Congress who have a shared interest or characteristic.
• Personal, committee, and agency staff provide policy expertise and constituency service.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.4Summary
• The Congressional Process• The process for considering a bill has many
stages.• Presidents try to persuade Congress to support
their policies, which usually earn space on the congressional agenda.
• Parties are more homogeneous and polarized and provide an important pull on members on most issues.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.4Summary
• The Congressional Process (cont.)• Constituencies have influence on
congressional decision making on a few visible issues, while members’ own ideologies exert more influence on less visible issues.
• Interest groups play a key role in informing Congress and sometimes the threat of their opposition influences vote outcomes.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.5Summary
• Understanding Congress• Congress is an elite institution and responsive
to the public when the public makes its wishes clear.
• Congress is open to influence, which makes it responsive to many interests but also may reduce its ability to make good public policy.
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman
LO 12.5Summary
• Understanding Congress (cont.)• Members of Congress often support expanding
government to aid their constituents, generally in response to public demands for policy, but many also fight to limit the scope of government.
To Learning Objectives