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CH. 10:Congress



Congress



Congress’s Place in Our Constitutional System

• Bicameralism – the system of having two chambers withinone legislative body, like the House and the Senate in the

U.S. Congress.

Two-year terms in the House

Six-year terms in the Senate



Women and Minorities inCongress



Fenno s Concentric Circles



The Job of a Member of Congress



Congressional Behavior andVoter Behavior

Voters are typically not informed enough tomonitor their representatives.

However, members of Congress behave as if voters were fully informed, because anyissue might become salient in the next

election.



Understanding Congressional (In)action

Gridlock – an inability to enact legislation

because of partisan conflict within Congress

or between Congress and the President

Electoral Connection – the idea that

congressional behavior is centrallymotivated by members’ desire for

re-election



North Carolina Redistricting, 1992



Origins of the IncumbencyAdvantage

Gerrymandering – attempting to use the

process of redrawing district boundaries to

benefit a political party, protect incumbents,or change the proportion of minority voters

in a district



House Incumbency Re-electionRates, 1948–2010



Senate Incumbency Re-electionRates, 1948–2010



Elections and Member Behavior

Home style: a Congressperson’s way of

relating to their district

Many Members of Congress (MCs) are called

the Tuesday-to-Thursday club because

they spend so little time in Washington.



The Responsibility–Responsiveness Dilemma



Casework ( ConstituencyService )

Constituency service includes:

• Using the franking privilege to stay in touch with

voters• Doing casework to help voters with large federal

bureaucracy



The Role of the Constituency



Informal Norms

Universalism: As manydistricts as possible

should reap rewards or legislative benefits.

Reciprocity (logrolling):I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.



Informal Norms (continued)

Specialization: Members become experts onspecific issues; this helps members claim

credit.

Seniority: maintains order and helpsincumbents win re-election.



The Structure of Congress

The Speaker, Majority

Leaders, and Whips aredecided by straight

party-line vote.



Party Votes in Congress, 1962–2009



Party Unity in Congress, 1962–2009



The Committee System

Standing Committee - permanent part of the House or Senate

structure with more authority than other committees

Select Committee – created to address a specific issue

Joint Committee - contain members of both houses but withlimited authority

Conference Committee - created to negotiate differences

between the House and Senate versions of legislation



Congressional Rules

Open Rules – allows the addition of relevantamendments to a bill

Closed Rules – prohibits the addition of amendments to a bill

Modified rules – allows certain amendments to abill while barring others



How a Bill Becomes a Law



Oversight



Reforming Congress

Potential reforms include:

• Term limits

• Filibuster reform• Strengthening parties

• Campaign finance reform

Many of these have either been tried and have notworked as planned or are under debate as to their

merits.



Comparing Ourselves To Others



Public Opinion Poll

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress

is handling its job?

a) Strongly approve

b) Approve

c) Disapprove

d) Strongly disapprove



Public Opinion Poll

Do you approve or disapprove of the way your

member of Congress is handling his or her job?

a) Strongly approve

b) Approve

c) Disapprove

d) Strongly disapprove



Public Opinion Poll

Do you believe we should have term limits for

members of Congress?

a) Yes

b) No



Public Opinion Poll

Do you believe state legislatures should consider

the racial makeup of a district when

redistricting?

a) Yes

b) No



Public Opinion Poll

Do you think it is important that the demographics of

Congress represent the social, racial, and

economic demographics of the country?

a) Yes

b) No



Public Opinion Poll

When members of Congress cast a vote, which of

the following factors should typically most

influence their decision?

a) The interests of the country as a whole

b) The interests of their district or state



Public Opinion Poll

Which of the following do you believe should be the

most influential factor in the voting decisions of

members of Congress?

a) The preferences of their constituents

b) The preferences of the president

c) The preferences of the members’ partyleadership

d) The members’ own ideology



Chapter 10: Congress

Practice quizzes

Flashcards

Outlines

wwnorton.com/studyspace



Following this slide, you will find additional

slides with photos, figures, and captions from

the textbook.



Congress

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