1. US Congress
Chapter 13 AP Government

2. Plays a big part in Who Governs? Different than a Parliament
US Congress
Plays a big part in Who Governs?
Different than a Parliament

3. Differences Congress Parliament
Aligned to party and Prime Minister
Elected as part of the party
Debate laws/ policy
Independent votes, of party and of President
Elected independently of the party
Make laws/policy

4. 6 era’s of the House 1. House has more power than Senate 1800’s
2. Jacksonian’s create cleavage 1830’s (slavery)
3. Speaker takes control by 1900
4. Committee/Chairperson power 1920’s
5. Elected Chairs, not appointed 1960’s
6. Reduced committee power 1990’s

5. College degree Protestant Upper-middle class
The average member is…
White 50’s
Married Male
College degree Protestant
Upper-middle class
Long term residents Incumbents

7. Organizational-As the party wants Attitudinal-Their own mind
Voting on a Bill
Organizational-As the party wants
Attitudinal-Their own mind
Representational-As voters in the state/district want

8. Members are more polarized than citizens Align with caucuses/cleavages
House Power
Members are more polarized than citizens
Align with caucuses/cleavages
Speakers recently gained power
Party has some influence -especially in leadership appointments

9. House Leadership
Speaker of the House is leader of majority party and presides over House
Majority leader and minority leader: leaders on the floor
Party whips keep leaders informed and round up votes
Committee assignments and legislative schedule are set by each party

10. Senate Power Less party control than in the House
More decentralized/independent
Committees have the most power

11. Senate Leadership
President pro tempore presides; this is the member with most seniority in majority party (a largely honorific office)
Leaders are the majority leader and the minority leader, elected by their respective party members

12. Senate Leadership
Party whips: keep leaders informed, round up votes, count noses
Each party has a policy committee: schedules Senate business, prioritizes bills
Committee assignments are handled by a group of Senators, each for their own party

13. Get to Work #1 job is passing legislation
Major help from personal staff
Page 346
Help from CRS, GAO, CBO

14. Staffs Constituency service is a major task of members’ staff
Legislative functions of staff include devising proposals, negotiating agreements, organizing hearings, and meeting with lobbyists and administrators
Members’ staff consider themselves advocates of their employers

16. Incumbency Privileges
Franking
Pork-barrel credit
Tax credit for DC home/apartment
Non-libel/Non-arrest status
Travel expenses
Lobbyist “perks”

17. Faster response to terrorism Faster response by intelligence community
Post 911
Faster response to terrorism
Faster response by intelligence community
USA Patriot Act
Continuity Commission recommendations