1. Congress
Chapter 12

2. Legislative Branch
Article 1
Bicameral
Reasoning

3. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
American Bicameralism
Bicameral: Legislature divided into two houses.
The House
435 members, 2 year terms of office.
Initiates all revenue bills, more influential on budget.
Limited debates.
The Senate
100 members, 6 year terms of office.
Gives “advice & consent”, more influential on foreign affairs.
Unlimited debates.
From Table 12.3

4. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
Congressional Leadership
The House
Lead by Speaker of the House- elected by House members.
Presides over House.
Major role in committee assignments and legislation.
The Senate
Officially lead by Vice President.
Really lead by Majority Leader- chosen by party members.
Must work with Minority leader.

5. Structure of Congress House Senate
Two Houses meet for 2 year terms beginning Jan 3 of odd number years.
Each term divided into 2 one year sessions.

6. Election to Congress House Each State guaranteed 1 representative
Practices related to determinating representation
Apportionment
Reapportionment
Congressional districting
gerrymandering

7. Election in the Senate Article V
Originally members chosen by State Legislatures
17th Amendment: Direct election of Senators. Broadened scope of democracy

8. Roles
Constituent servent
Committee member
Politician/party member

9. Role of Members of Congress
Policy makers
Representative Descriptive or Delegate : representing constituents by mirroring their personal, politically characteristic.
Rule by the people
Trustee: advocate for long-term interest of the nation.
Substantive: representing interest groups

10. Parties and Party Leadership
Party leadership in Congress
House leaders
Speaker of the House
Elected by the House membership
By default, a member of the majority party
Said to be the second-most-powerful official in Washington, after the president
House majority leader
House majority whip

11. The Representatives and Senators
The Job
Salary of $174,100 / 194 Party Leaders with retirement benefits
Office space in D.C. and at home and staff to fill it.
Travel allowances and mail privileges.
But, there’s often 10 to 14 hour days, lots of time away from the family, and lots of pressure from different people to “do the right thing.”

12. Parties and Party Leadership
Party caucus—closed session
Party unity in Congress
Parties are the strongest force within Congress
Heightened unity seen through roll-call votes

13. Parties and Party Leadership
Party leadership in Congress
Senate leaders
Majority party leader is the most powerful senator
The vice president presides over the Senate; however, has power only to cast tie-breaking vote
Senate president pro tempore presides over the Senate in the vice president’s absence
Largely an honorary position held by the majority party’s senior member

14. Demographics 115 House of Representatives
Parties: Republican: 241; Democrat: 194; Independent: 0
Gender: Men: 248; Women: 83
Race: White: 339; Black: 46; Hispanic: 33; Asian: 10; Other: 3

15. Senate
Parties: Republican: 52; Democrat: 46; Independent: 2
Gender: Men: 78; Women: 21
Race: White: 90; Black: 3; Hispanic: 4; Asian: 3

16. Speaker of the House: Paul Ryan

17. House Leadership

18. House majority leader: Kevin McCarthy

19. Republican Leadership
Majority Leader
Rep. Kevin McCarthy
Represents Republicans on the House floor.
Majority Whip
Rep. Steve Scalise
Assists leadership in managing party's legislative program.

20. House minority leader: Nancy Pelosi
She is a representative of California. She has served as the Democratic leader, or minority leader in the House, since Pelosi was speaker of the House between 2007 to 2011, becoming the first woman to hold the position.

21. Democratic Leadership
Minority Leader
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
Represents Democrats on the House floor.
Democratic Whip
Rep. Steny Hoyer
Assists leadership in managing party's legislative program.

22. Senate President: Joe Biden until Jan. 20

23. Senate majority leader: Mitch McConnell
Senator from Kentucky since He is the longest-serving senator from the state. He became the Senate majority leader in 2015.

24. Senate minority leader: Chuck Schumer
He has been in Congress since 1981, first serving as a New York representative until 1998, when he was elected as a senator. He has not been the leader of the party previously.

25. Congressional Elections
Who Wins Elections?
Incumbent: Those already holding office.
Figure 12.1

27. Congressional Elections
The Advantages of Incumbents Incumbency Effect
Name recognition
Credit Claiming
Service to individuals in their district.
Casework: specifically helping constituents get what they think they have a right to.
Pork Barrel: federal projects, grants, etc. made available in a congressional district or state.

28. Congressional Elections
The Advantages of Incumbents
Position Taking:
Portray themselves as hard working, dedicated individuals.
Occasionally take a partisan stand on an issue.
Weak Opponents:
Most opponents are inexperienced in politics.
Most opponents are unorganized and underfunded.

29. Incumbency Effect More Visible to Constituents Advertising:
The goal is to be visible to your voters.
Frequent trips home & newsletters are used.
Franking
Media exposure

30. Fund raising abilities
Experience in campaigning
Voting Record

31. Congressional Campaign Expenditures

32. Allocation of PAC Contributions between Incumbents and Challengers

33. Congressional Elections
Money in Congressional Elections
Open seats are expensive.
Do PACs buy candidates?
Spending lots of money does not guarantee a win.
Figure 12.3

34. Congress as a Career: Election to Congress
Pitfalls of incumbency
Disruptive issues
Personal misconduct
Turnout variation: the midterm election problem
Primary election challengers
General election challengers: a problem for senators
Super PACs

35. Congressional Elections
The Role of Party Identification
Most members represent the majority party in their district.
Defeating Incumbents
Some incumbents face problems after a scandal or other complication in office.
They may get drawn out of their district.
They may face massive voter retaliation.

36. Congressional Elections
Stability and Change
Incumbents winning provides stability in Congress.
But, it makes it more difficult to change Congress through elections.
Are term limits an answer?

37. Committees Most work of Congress is accomplished through committees.
Divides work
Allows for study
Speeds up process

38. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
The Committees and Subcommittees
Getting Ahead on the Committee: Chairs and the Seniority System.
The chair is the most important position for controlling legislation.
Chairs were chosen strictly by seniority.
Now seniority is a general rule, and members may choose the chair of their committee.

39. Seniority system: Tradition Today Membership of Committees
% of each committee reflects overall % of Dem.
Rep. in each house
Members will try to serve on committees that has policy related to their district.

40. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
The Committees and Subcommittees
Four types of committees:
Standing committees: subject matter committees handle different policy areas.
Joint committees: few policy areas- made up of House & Senate members.
Conference committees: resolve differences in House and Senate bills.
Select committees: created for a specific purpose.
Caucuses: informal group who share a common purpose or sets of goals.

41. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
The Committees and Subcommittees
Getting on a Committee
Members want to get on the right committee.
Members want committee assignments that will help them get reelected and gain influence.
New members express their committee preferences to the party leaders.
Support of the party is important in getting on the right committee.
Parties try and grant committee assignments.

42. Committees and Committee Leadership
Committee jurisdiction
Bills introduced must be referred to the proper committee for deliberation
Committee membership
Typically mirrors the party ratio of the body
Committee chairs
Typically senior members of the majority party
Committees and parties: Which is in control?

43. Leadership in Committees
Chairpersons are members of majority party.
Chosen by caucus
Set agenda
Assign members to subcommittees
Decide if they will hold public hearings and witnesses
Manage floor debate when presented to Full House or Senate

45. How a Bill Becomes a Law Committee hearings and decisions
Most work on legislation is done in committee
From committee to the floor
Rules for debate are defined
Leadership and floor action
Debate, changes, and vote by full membership
Conference committees and the president
Reconcile differences between similar legislation

47. Congress’s Policymaking Role
Lawmaking function of Congress
Makes laws authorizing federal programs
Broad issues: fragmentation as a limit on Congress’s role
Congress in the lead: fragmentation as a policymaking strength

49. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
The Committees and Subcommittees
The Committees at Work: Legislation and Oversight
Committees work on the 11,000 bills every year.
Some hold hearings and “mark up” meetings.
Serve as a reference for other members.
Oversight involves hearings and other methods of pressuring the executive branch into action.
As the size of government grows, oversight grows too.

50. Congress: An Institution Divided
Pro (advantages):
Culturally representative of nation
Diverse interests represented
Cons (disadvantages):
National interest subjugated to special interests
Disproportionate influence of the minority

52. Congress’s Policymaking Role
The representation function of Congress
Representation of states and districts
Representation of the nation through parties
Oversight function of Congress
Sees that executive branch carries out the laws faithfully

53. 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.
Caucuses pressure for committee meetings and hearings and for votes on bills.
Caucuses can be more effective than lobbyists.

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

55. Powers of Congress Legislative: power to make laws
Expressed- Article 1 Section 8
Implied powers- “necessary and proper” or elastic. Article I, Section 8, Clause 18
Limitation on Powers- Article I, Section 9, and Tenth Amendment

56. Non Legislative Powers
Electoral powers-
Amendment powers
Impeachment
Executive powers of Senate- approve appointments of President and treaty making
Investigative/ Oversight

57. Lawmaking Process Legislation: ( see handout in packet)
Bill: A proposed law.
Anyone can draft a bill, but only members of Congress can introduce them.
More rules in the House than in the Senate.
Party leaders play a vital role in steering bills through both houses.
Countless influences on the legislative process.

58. The Congressional Process
Presidents and Congress: Partners and Protagonists
Presidents have many resources to influence Congress
In order to “win” in Congress, the president must win several battles in each house.
Presidents have the power of veto to ultimately influence legislation.

59. The Congressional Process
Figure 12.5

60. Earmarks aka Pork
Earmarks are a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees. Congressmen will put earmarks into large bills that have no relation to the subject. It is a form of pork barrel spending that often drives the American public crazy.

61. What do you think about earmarks and pork barrel spending
What do you think about earmarks and pork barrel spending? Do you think that Congressmen and women are looking out for their private interests? Do you think it is hypocritical of them, or are they just trying to help their constituencies (people in their district)? How does the below cartoon influence your thoughts?

62. Legislative Tactics Caucuses- form voting blocs The Committee system
Filibuster and Cloture
Pork barrel legislation
Logrolling
Riders
Amendments
Lobbying
Legislative veto

63. Influences on Congress
Constituents
Other lawmakers and staff
Party influence
President
Lobbyists and interest groups

64. 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.
Constituency versus Ideology: Most constituents don’t know how their member voted on any particular issue. It is difficult for constituents to influence their member.

65. The Congressional Process
Lobbyists and Interest Groups
There are over 26 lobbyists for every member of Congress- the bigger the issue, the more lobbyists will be working on it.
Lobbyists can be ignored, shunned and even regulated by Congress.
Ultimately, it is a combination of lobbyists and others that influence members of Congress.

66. Understanding Congress
Congress and Democracy
While it is a representative body, it doesn’t necessarily represent the people, just their interests.
Congress does try to respond to what the people want, but some argue it could do a better job.
Interest groups and presidents exert influence on what Congress does.

67. Understanding Congress
Reforming Congress
Democratization- more power was spread around, and more subcommittees and caucuses were created. Some of this has been changed in recent years
Representation versus Effectiveness- some argue that Congress has too much to do, and can’t do much of it right. But it does get some of its work done.

68. Understanding Congress
Congress and the Scope of Government
The more policies Congress works on, the more ways they can serve their constituencies.
The more programs that get created, the bigger government gets.
Everybody wants government programs cut, just not their programs.

69. Internet Resources House of Representatives U. S. Senate Thomas
Roll Call
FEC
Center for Responsive Politics
C-Span
Each item is hyperlinked to the website in the book.