3 branches of government. once upon a time… …there were 3 little branches of government…
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3 Branches of Government
Once Upon a Time…
…there were
3 little branches
of government…
The Legislature
The LegislatureNUTS & BOLTS
The LegislatureNUTS & BOLTS
Constitutional Requirements
The LegislatureNUTS & BOLTS
Constitutional RequirementsThe Mind of the People
The LegislatureNUTS & BOLTS
Constitutional RequirementsThe Mind of the PeopleBicameral
The LegislatureNUTS & BOLTS
Constitutional RequirementsThe Mind of the PeopleBicameralThe “Power of the Purse”
The LegislatureNUTS & BOLTS
Constitutional RequirementsThe Mind of the PeopleBicameralThe “Power of the Purse”The “Art of the Possible”
The LegislatureMajority and Minority Leaders
President President pro tempore Speaker
Whips
The Legislature “I’m just a Bill…”
Committee shenanigans Discharge petition (House)
Quorum Open & Closed Rules (House) Amendments v. Riders Cloture (Senate) Double Tracking & Holds (Senate)
The LegislatureAssignment of Committees
ExclusiveMajorMinorSelect
Senate p. 347 House p. 349
The Legislature AKA “The Broken Branch”
How did it get this way?
The Legislature AKA “The Broken Branch”
How did it get this way?
Ineffective at solving the biggest problems
The Legislature AKA “The Broken Branch”
How did it get this way?
Ineffective at solving the biggest problems
Non-stop Fundraising
The Legislature AKA “The Broken Branch”
How did it get this way?
Ineffective at solving the biggest problems
Non-stop Fundraising Possibilities for Corruption
(Franking)
The Legislature AKA “The Broken Branch”
How did it get this way?
Ineffective at solving the biggest problems
Non-stop Fundraising Possibilities for Corruption (Franking)
Avoidance of Reforms
The Legislature Congressmen worry over their
constituents’ opinions
The Legislature Congressmen worry over their
constituents’ opinions They fret over the ideas and
opinions of Special Interests
The Legislature Congressmen worry over their
constituents’ opinions They fret over the ideas and
opinions of Special Interests They endlessly debate
The Legislature Congressmen worry over their
constituents’ opinions They fret over the ideas and
opinions of Special Interests They endlessly debate Usually end up in Compromise
The Legislature Congressmen worry over their
constituents’ opinions They fret over the ideas and
opinions of Special Interests They endlessly debate Usually end up in Compromise
Voters HATE all of these.
The Legislature Why do Congressmen act as they do?
Representational View (Delegate)What if there are conflicting views in your
area?Closeness results in C. doing his own
thingNo one is really watchingProviding services will make voters forgetParty loyalty will make others forget
The Legislature Why do Congressmen act as they do?
Organizational View (The Party Man)Party explains almost everythingIdeological affinityGo with “the knowledge”
The Legislature Why do Congressmen act as they
do?Attitudinal View (Trustee)
Ideological differentiation “The Disappearing Center” Lack of Political interest and efficacy
Clear division on major issues May indicate a true “disconnect”
Less representative than ever
The Legislature Why did the Framers put this branch
first? Why do we keep reelecting such bums? Why has Congress become so polarized? Are they “disconnected” from American
reality? Do we actually understand what the
Framers intended for Congress? Does anyone actually track their
Congressman’s voting record?
The LegislatureREALITIES:
Congress never has been what the Founders conceived.
Parties are too unified against each other.
“Congress” is not supposed to be “Parliament”.
The House is just too big.
The LegislatureREALITIES:
Incumbents win handilyDemocrats have
dominatedbut are more divided
1990 CensusChanging South
The LegislatureREALITIES:
ad Hominem votingGrowth of CaucusesIncreased EarmarksPork-Barrel Legislation
The LegislatureREALITIES:ContinuingconcernaboutGerrymandering
The Legislature Questions remain:
Why is there no “Liberal Coalition”? Why has the average age risen in the
past 20 years? Why has there been a shift with fewer
lawyers and more businessmen over the past 20 years?
Why has the number of representatives with military experience decreased so much?
The LegislatureChart on page 336
Why did the number of Blacks and Hispanics in the Senate remain constantly low while the number of women soared?1 + 1 in 1971; 2 + 4 in 2015
whereasWomen = 2 in 1971, 20 in 2015
The LegislatureChart on page 336
How do we explain the much larger growth of minorities in the House?1971 = 12 Blacks, 5 Hispanic, 13
Women2015 = 46 Blacks, 32 Hispanic,
84 Women
The LegislatureChart on page 336
Is there an explanation for the timing of the growth of women members in the House?13 in 197129 in 199147 in 199359 in 200574 in 2007
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