Chapter 9 Congress

Why Congress? Founders feared tyrannical rulers and had experienced weakness of congress under Articles of Confederation Bicameralism (result of “Great Compromise”) attempts to balance power among large and small states, elites and masses; House based on population; Senate on equality of states

Powers of Congress Enumerated/expressed powers (Article I, section 8), including: Impose taxes Borrow and spend money Regulate interstate and international commerce Coin money Establish court system Declare war Raise army and navy

Powers of Congress (cont.) Implied powers From the necessary and proper/elastic clause (Article 1, section 8, clause 18) First used in the Supreme Court’s ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Allows Congress to enact laws that assist in accomplishing goals directly related to its enumerated powers Set stage for expanded role of national government relative to states; a check on expansion of executive power

Functions of Congress Lawmaking (and logrolling) = primary and fundamental Constituent service (casework) Representation Trustee (conscience, broad interest) Instructed-delegate (agent of constituents) Combination of roles Oversight (follow up on laws) Public education (agenda setting) Conflict resolution (great pluralist mediator)

© 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Members of Congress Not typical Americans Older Wealthier Disproportionately White, male, and Protestant Trained in professional occupations

Congressional Elections operated by individual state governments House of Representatives Elected every two years by popular ballot Number of seats is determined by population Each state has at least one representative Each district has about a half million residents 435 members U.S. Senate Elected every six years by popular ballot (since ratification of the 17th Amendment (1913)) One third of the Senate is elected every two years Each state has two Senators 100 members

Power of Incumbency Overwhelming majority of incumbent representatives Smaller proportion of senators Who run for reelection are successful See Table 9-3, 215

Power of Incumbency, 215 © 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Complexities “One person, one vote” principle Reapportionment = allocation of seats in House of Representatives to each state after each census Redistricting = redrawing boundaries of districts within each state Done by state legislatures Gerrymandering (Figure 9.1, 217) Minority-majority districts

4th district, Figure 9-2, 218 © 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Compensation Members of Congress are well paid ($154,000 in 2003) Enjoy a host of benefits Personal and committee staff members Privileges and immunities

Committee Structure Bulk of legislating done in committees and subcommittees Standing committees (review introduced legislation) Select committees (short-term, specific purpose) Joint committees (members from both) Conference committees (special joint committees aimed at achieving agreement on legislative wording) Seniority system (longer-term members given preference in committee appointments)

Congressional Leadership House of Representatives Speaker of the House (most powerful position) House Majority Leader House Minority Leader House Majority Whip House Minority Whip

Congressional Leadership U.S. Senate President of Senate (Vice President, ceremonial) President pro tem (appointed by majority party to preside when VP absent) Majority Floor Leader (most powerful leader) Minority Floor Leader Senate Majority Whip Senate Minority Whip

How Members Vote Cue-taking from senior members (yes and no) Best predictor = party affiliation

How a Bill Becomes a Law Passes through both chambers of Congress Through standing and joint committees Goes to President who signs or vetoes If vetoed, can be overriden by a 2/3 majority in both houses

How a Bill becomes a Law, Figure 9.3, 227 © 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™ How a Bill becomes a Law, Figure 9.3, 227

Budget Process President prepares executive budget Reviewed by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Sent to Congress, which is expected to pass a final budget by September

Budget Cycle, Figure 9-4, 229 © 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™

Discussion Questions What are important differences between the House and Senate? How is the average member of Congress different from the average American? How much power do congressional leaders have? Why do incumbents usually win reelection? Are minority-majority districts fair? Why is it relatively easy to kill a bill in Congress?

Hot Links to Selected Internet Resources Book’s Companion Site: http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com/schmidtbrief2004 Wadsworth’s Political Science Site: http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com U.S. Senate: http://www.senate.gov U.S. House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov Roll Call Newspaper Online: http://www.rollcall.com