pp Representatives and Senators

Introduction  The framers of the Constitution conceived of Congress as the center of policymaking in America.  In recent years, Congress has been the true center of power in Washington.  The movement of legislation through the congressional labyrinth has never been more complicated, and just finding time to debate the issues has become difficult.

The Job  Despite public perceptions, hard work is one of the most prominent characteristics of a member of Congress’ job.  Usually on about 6 different committees and subcommittees (HoR); and about 10 for a Senator.  Attractions – power; making key decisions; salary and perks

The People  535 members of Congress  Members of the House – 25; American citizen for 7 years; must be residents of the states from which they are elected.  Senators – 30; American citizens for 9 years; must be residents of the states from which they are elected.

The People Continued…  Mostly come from high status occupations (business and law).  Minorities are not well represented.  Women are the most underrepresented demographic in Congress.  Descriptive representation – mirroring their constituents  Substantive representation – representing the interests of groups

Who Wins?  Incumbents – already hold office  HoR – 90%+ of incumbents win with more than 60% of the vote  Senate – have a better than equal chance, but not re-elected as often as incumbents from HoR (Figure 12.1)  Reason – an entire state is almost always more diverse than a congressional district and thus provides more of a base for opposition

Advantages of Incumbents  Voters are not very aware of how their senators and reps actually vote  Members of Congress do not gain or lose very much from the fluctuation of the economy.  Members of Congress engage in 3 primary activities – advertising, credit claiming and position taking.

Advertising  Mostly takes place between elections and takes the form of contact with the constituents.

Credit Claiming  Casework – helping constituents cut through bureaucratic red tape  Pork barrel – expenditures on federal projects, grants and contracts for cities.  Rarely pass up the chance to increase federal spending in their state or district.

Pork Barrel  Government, Politics & Diplomacy) Slang chiefly US a bill or project requiring considerable government spending in a locality to the benefit of the legislator's constituents who live there.

Position Taking  Must engage in position taking on matters of public policy when they vote on issues and when they respond to constituents‘ questions about where they stand on issues.  The position may make a difference in the outcome of an election, esp. if the issues are salient to voters and their stands.

Defeating Incumbents  If an incumbent is tarnished by scandal or corruption  Reapportionment after a federal census

Money $$$  Although most of the money spent in congressional elections comes from individuals, 30% of the funds raised by candidates for Congress comes from PACs  Each PAC is limited to an expenditure of $5,000 per candidate (loopholes???)