1. Structure of Congress Objective: Understand how Congress is organized
Bell Ringer:
List the qualifications for serving in Congress as set forth in the
Constitution. In your opinion, are there other qualifications that
should be applied to holding office in Congress? For example,
should lawmakers have certain legal or technical training? Why
or why not?
Agenda:
Congressional structure
Compensation
Elections/gerrymandering
Homework:
Letter signed
Read Chapter 10 Sections 2 and 3
Outline each

2. Structure of Congress Objective: Understand how Congress is organized
Analyze the theories of representation
Bell Ringer:
Congress is a frequent target of criticism in the media and elsewhere.
Yet the text says that the members of Congress are on the whole
hardworking and able people. How can you explain the existence of
these two opposing viewpoints?
Agenda:
Members of Congress
Theories of Representation
Homework:
Read Chapter 10 Section 4
Chapter Assessment #1 - 23

3. Structure of Congress Objective:
Identify the leadership positions in Congress and who currently holds these positions
Understand how committees in Congress are organized
Analyze how committees operate
Bell Ringer:
Choose three Congressional powers and indicate why the
Framers gave these powers to Congress rather than the states.
Agenda:
Congressional Leadership
Committees in Congress
Homework:
Use the Study Guide to prepare for your test
A Day = April 30
B Day = May 1

4. How Congress Works Part 1:
Structure, Organization,
& Legislative Process

5. Who’s in Congress?

6. Bicameral Legislature
“upper house” elected by state legislature and each state having equal representation
“lower house” elected by the people and membership based on population
all states (except Nebraska) have followed this model in their state legislatures
in many other nations with bicameral legislatures the upper house is largely ceremonial
the hope was that it would keep government from infringing upon citizen’s rights

7. Congress Each term lasts for two years
New sessions start at 12:00 p.m. on January 3rd of every odd-numbered year (Congress can however select a different day to convene)
We are currently in the 111th session of Congress
Special sessions may be called only by the President to deal with emergency situations
Neither House of Congress has a cap on the number of terms a member may serve

8. House-Senate Differences
435 members; 2 yr terms
Low turnover
Speaker bill referral hard to challenge
Scheduling/rules controlled by majority party with powerful Rules Committee (controls time of debate, amends., etc)
Senate
100 members; 6 yr terms
Moderate turnover
Referral decisions easily challenged
Scheduling/rules agreed to by majority & minority leaders

9. House-Senate Differences
Debate limited to 1 hour
Members policy specialists
Emphasizes tax & revenue policy
More formal & impersonal
Senate
Unlimited debate unless cloture invoked
Members policy generalists
Emphasizes foreign policy
More informal & personal

10. Congressional Membership
Ethnically, socially, economically the make-up of Congress
is not actually representative of the general population.
 In general members of Congress are:
White males in their early 50’s
Married
Two children
Christian Protestant
The vast majority have college degrees and many have advanced degrees
A large number were lawyers

11. Demographic Profile of the 111th Congress
Age Groups
Party
Ethnicity
Gender
Source:
Source:

12. Structure of Congress Objective: Understand how Congress is organized
Analyze the theories of representation
Bell Ringer:
Read the article “Replacement Congress”
Do you think the mass replacement of representatives through special
election under the circumstances in this article would be approved of
by the Framers? What is another option that could be considered?
Agenda:
Theories of Representation
Leadership in Congress
Congressional Committees
Homework:
Chapter 11 Part 2 Overview
Quiz next class

13. Role of Congress Make laws
Represent the interests of their constituents
Serve on committees
Serve their constituencies
Politicians

14. Theories of Representation
Members of Congress tends to fit into one of four
categories when it comes to decision making.
Partisanship Theory/Organizational View:
Feel that people voted for them because of their political beliefs
Tend to vote the way their particular party does
The party’s goals are the end

15. Theories of Representation
Trustee Theory/Attitudinal View:
Decide each political situation based on its own individual merit
Lead and inform
Do what is right
It is the end, not the process that is important

16. Theories of Representation
Delegate Theory/Representational View:
View themselves as agents of those who elected them
Do as voters request
It is the process, not the end that is important

17. Theories of Representation
Politicos Theory:
Strive to combine elements of the two into their decision making
Try to balance their views, with the views of their constituents and their party’s views
The process used and the ends achieved are important

18. Party Unity Lower today than 100 years ago, but…..
Ideology important variable explaining party voting (members vote with their party 80% of the time)
Party polarization - vote in which majority of democrats oppose majority of republicans
Polarization trends:
HR = 36%; S = 37%
HR = 73%; S = 69%
HR = 43%; S = 49%

19. Congressional Leadership
The House
Led by Speaker of the House—elected by House members
Presides over House
Major role in committee assignments and legislation
Assisted by majority leader and whips
The Senate
Formally lead by Vice President
Really lead by Majority Leader—chosen by party members
Assisted by whips
Must work with Minority leader

20. Party Leadership The House The Senate
Led by Speaker of the House—elected by House members
Presides over House
Major role in committee assignments and legislation
Assisted by majority leader and whips
The Senate
Formally lead by Vice President
Really lead by Majority Leader—chosen by party members
Assisted by whips
Must work with Minority leader

21. HOUSE LEADERSHIP Speaker (majority party) Republicans: Majority Leader
Majority Whip
Chairman of the Caucus
Steering & Policy Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Speaker of the House
John Boehner (R-OH)
Majority Whip
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Majority Leader
Eric Cantor (R-VA)

22. HOUSE LEADERSHIP Democrats: Minority Leader Minority Whip
Chairman of Conference
Policy Committee
Committee on Committees
National Republican Congressional Committee
Research Committee
Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Minority Whip
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

23. President of the Senate
SENATE LEADERSHIP
President of the Senate (Vice President)
President Pro Tempore (majority party)
Democrats:
Majority Leader
Majority Whip
Chairman of Conference
Policy Committee
Steering Committee
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
President of the Senate
Joe Biden (D-DE)
President Pro Temp
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Majority Whip
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Majority Leader
Harry Reid (D-NV)

24. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
SENATE LEADERSHIP
Republicans:
Minority Leader
Minority Whip
Chairman of Conference
Policy Committee
Committee on Committees
Republican Senatorial Committee
Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Minority Whip
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

25. Strength of Party Structure?
Measure of party strength:
Ability of leaders to control party rules and organization
Extent to which party members vote together in the House and Senate
Senate: less party-centered and leader oriented

26. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
Caucuses: The Informal Organization of Congress
Caucus: a group of members of Congress sharing some interest or characteristic
About 300 caucuses
Caucuses pressure for committee meetings and hearings and for votes on bills.
Caucuses can be more effective than lobbyists.

27. CAUCUSES
Groups (may be bipartisan) meeting to pursue common legislative objectives
Rivals to parties in policy formulation
Examples: Democratic Study Group, Congressional Black Caucus, Tuesday Lunch Bunch, Human Rights, Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, Out of Iraq Caucus,
Rural Caucus, Travel & Tourism Caucus, House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children

28. "Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.”
- Woodrow Wilson

29. Legislative Committees:
Function and Purpose

30. Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose
1. Consider bills (a.k.a. “mark-up” bills)
A bill with a member’s mark-up notes

31. Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose
2. Maintain oversight of executive agencies
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing re: the Department of Defense Budget (May, 2006)

32. Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose
3. Conduct investigations
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hurricane Katrina (Feb., 2006)

33. Types of Committees
Standing Committees - permanent panel with full legislative functions and oversight responsibilities
Subcommittees – formed to tackle very specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committees
Select or Special Committees - groups appointed for a limited purpose and limited duration
Joint Committees - includes members of both chambers to conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks
Conference Committee - includes members of House & Senate to work out differences between similar bills

34. Standing Committees

35. House Standing Committees
Agriculture
Appropriations
Armed Services
Budget
Education & Workforce
Energy & Commerce
Financial Services
Government Reform
House Admin.
International Relations
Judiciary
Resources
Rules
Science
Small Business
Standards of Official Conduct
Transportation & Infrastructure
Veterans Affairs
Ways & Means

36. Senate Standing Committees
Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Appropriations
Armed Services
Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs
Budget
Commerce, Science, Transportation
Energy & Natural Resources
Environment and Public Works
Finance
Foreign Relations
Governmental Affairs
Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Judiciary
Rules and Administration
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Veterans Affairs

37. Special, Select Committees
House Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming
Senate Select Committee on Ethics
House & Senate Select Committees on Intelligence
Gen. Michael Hayden is sworn in during a full committee hearing of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee on his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

38. Joint Committees Joint Economic Committee Joint Committee on Printing
Joint Committee on Taxation
Joint Committee on Taxation hearing

39. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
Getting on a Committee
Members want committee assignments that will help them get reelected, gain influence, and make policy.
New members express their committee preferences to the party leaders.
Those who have supported their party’s leadership are favored in the selection process.
Parties try to grant committee preferences.

40. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
Getting Ahead on the Committee
Committee chair: the most important influencer of congressional agenda
Dominant role in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills when they are brought before the full house
Most chairs selected according to seniority system.
Members who have served on the committee the longest and whose party controlled Congress become chair

41. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
Congressional Staff
Personal staff: They work for the member, mainly providing constituent service, but help with legislation too.
Committee staff: organize hearings, research and write legislation, target of lobbyists
Staff Agencies: CRS, GAO, CBO provide specific information to Congress

42. The Legislative Obstacle Course

43. How A Bill Becomes Law
Fact: About 5,000 bills are introduced in Congress every year, but only about 150 are signed into law.
Explain why so few bills become law.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Should the legislative process in Congress be reformed? If yes, what changes would you recommend? If not, why not?
Source:

44. Title: Resolution Artist: Bob Gorrell
Date: 12/28/06 Source:

45. Artist: R.J. Matson, New York Observer & Roll Call
Date: 1/18/07
Source:

46. Title: Imagine there’s no Congress
Title: Imagine there’s no Congress Artist: Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-Gazette
Date: 6/06/07 Source:

47. Title: Senator Reid Can Handle the Truth
Artist: RJ Matson
Date: 6/18/07
Source:

48. Source: http://bigpicture.typepad.com/ Date: 5/6/06