ch. 13 - congress (overview)

8/7/2019 Ch. 13 - Congress (Overview)

1/34

Chapter 13


2/34

The Representatives

and SenatorsO The Job

O Salary of $158,100 with retirement benefits

O Office space in D.C. and at home and staffto fill it.

O Travel allowances and franking privileges.

O Often requires 10 to 14 hour days, lots of

time away from the family, and lots ofpressure from different people to do theright thing.


3/34

Congressional Elections

O WhoWins Elections?O Incumbent: Those already holding office.O Between 1974-1980, Senate incumbents dropped in reelections

Figure 12.1


4/34


O The Advantages of IncumbentsO Advertising:

O The goal is to be visible to your voters.O Frequent trips home & newsletters are used.

O Credit Claiming:O Service to individuals in their district.

O Casework: specifically helping constituents get

what they think they have a right to.O Pork Barrel: federal projects, grants, etc. made

available in a congressional district or state.


5/34


O The Advantages of IncumbentsO Position Taking:

O Portray themselves as hard working, dedicated

individuals.O Occasionally take a partisan stand on an issue.

O Weak Opponents:O Most opponents are inexperienced in politics.O Most opponents are unorganized and underfunded.

O Campaign Spending:

O Challengers need to raise large sums to defeat anincumbent.O PACs give most of their money to incumbents.O Does PAC money buy votes in Congress?


6/34


O The Role of Party IdentificationO Most members represent the majority party

in their district.O Defeating Incumbents

O Some incumbents face problems after ascandal or other complication in office.

O They may face redistricting.

O They may become a victim of a majorpolitical tidal wave.


7/34


O Open Seats

O Greater likelihood of competition.

O Stability and ChangeO Incumbents provide stability in Congress.

O Change in Congress occurs less frequentlythrough elections.

O Are term limits an answer?


8/34

How Congress is Organized to

Make Policy

O T

he HouseO 435 members, 2 year

terms of office.

O Initiates all revenuebills, more influential onbudget.

O House RulesCommittee

O Limited debates.

O T

he SenateO 100 members, 6 year

terms of office.

O Gives advice &consent, moreinfluential on foreignaffairs.

O Unlimited debates.(filibuster)

American Bicameralism

Bicameral: Legislature divided into two houses.


9/34


Make Policy

The House

Lead by Speaker of theHouse - elected by

House members.

Presides over House.

Major role in

committee assignments

and legislation.

Assisted by majorityleader and whips.

The Senate

Formerly lead by VicePresident.

Really lead by

Majority Leader-

chosen by party

members.

Assisted by whips.

Must work with

Minority leader.

Congressional Leadership


10/34

How Congress is

Organized to Make Policy

O The Committees and Subcommittees

O Four types of committees:

O Standing committees: subject mattercommittees handle different policy areas.

O Joint committees: few policy areas- made upof House & Senate members.

O Conference committees: resolve differences

in House and Senate bills.O Select committees: created for a specific

purpose.


11/34

Committees

House of Representatives Senate Joint

AgricultureAppropriationsArmed ServicesBudgetEducation and the WorkforceEnergy and CommerceEthicsFinancial Services

Foreign AffairsHomeland SecurityHouse AdministrationIntelligence (Permanent Select)JudiciaryNatural ResourcesOversight and Government ReformRulesScience, Space, and TechnologySmall BusinessTransportation and InfrastructureVeterans' AffairsWays and Means

Aging (Special)Agriculture, Nutrition and ForestryAppropriationsArmed ServicesBanking, Housing, and Urban AffairsBudgetCommerce, Science and TransportationEnergy and Natural ResourcesEthics (Select)

Environment and Public WorksFinanceForeign RelationsHealth, Education, Labor, and PensionsHomeland Security and Governmental AffairsIndian AffairsIntelligence (Select)JudiciaryRules and AdministrationSmall Business and EntrepreneurshipVeterans' Affairs

(Conference)EconomicLibraryPrintingTaxation


12/34

House Ways and Means

CommitteeO the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House

of Representatives.O Members of the Ways and Means Committee cannot serve

on any other House Committees, though they can apply for

a waiver from their party's congressional leadership.O The Committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs and

other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number ofother programs including:O Social SecurityO Unemployment benefitsO Medicare

O Enforcement of child support lawsO Temporary Assistance forNeedy FamiliesO Foster care and adoption programs

All legislation on taxation must originate in the House. The SenateFinance committee has some oversight after it leaves the House.


13/34

House Appropriations

CommitteeO It is in charge of setting the specific

expenditures of money by the government ofthe United States.

O It spends the moneyO It decides which agencies will receive money

that will enforce new legislation

O Originally, the power of appropriating was

taken by the Committee onW

ays and Means,but the United States Civil War placed a largeburden on the Congress, and at the end ofthat conflict, a reorganization occurred.


14/34

House Judiciary

CommitteeO A standing committee of the United States

House of Representatives.O It is charged with overseeing the

administration of justice within the federalcourts, administrative agencies and Federallaw enforcement entities.

O The Judiciary Committee is also thecommittee responsible for impeachments offederal officials.

O Because of the legal nature of its oversight,committee members usually have a legalbackground, but this is not required.


15/34

Senate Judiciary

CommitteeO The Judiciary Committee, with 19 members, is

charged with conducting hearings prior to theSenate votes on confirmation of federal judges

(including Supreme Court justices) nominated bythe president.O In recent years, this role has made the committee

increasingly a point of contention, with numerousparty-line votes and standoffs over which judgesshould be approved.

O The committee also has a broad jurisdiction over

matters relating to federal criminal law, as well ashuman rights, immigration law, intellectual propertyrights, antitrust law, and Internet privacy


16/34

House Rules CommitteeO In charge of determining under what rule bills will come to

the floor.O traffic cop of CongressO They often place a limit on the number or types of

amendments (proposed changes to the bill).O Amendments might only be allowed to specific sections of

the bill, or no amendments might be allowed at all.O Besides control over amendments, the rule issued by the

Rules Committee also determines the amount of speakingtime assigned on each bill or resolution.

O If the leadership wants a bill pushed forward quietly, for

instance, there might be no debate time scheduled; if theywant attention, they might allow time for lengthy speechesin support of the bill.


17/34

Rules, Rules, RulesO Discharge petition: a device by which any

member of the House, after a committee hashad the bill for thirty days, may petition to

have it brought to the floor.O Closed rule: An order from the HRC that sets

a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from beingamended on the floor

O Open rule: An order from the HRC thatpermits a bill to be amended on the floor

O Restrictive rule: An order from the HRC thatpermits certain kinds of amendments but notothers to be made into a bill on the floor.


18/34


19/34

House Ethics CommitteeO It has many functions, but they all revolve around the standards

of ethical conduct for members of the House. Under thisauthority, it:

O Agrees on a set of rules that regulate what behavior isconsidered ethical for members (rules relating to gifts, travel,campaign activities, treatment of staff, conflicts of interest, etc.are typical)

O Conducts investigations into whether members have violatedthese standards

O Makes recommendations to the whole House on what action, if

any, should be taken as a result of the investigations (e.g.censure, expulsion from the House, or nothing if the member isfound not to be violating a rule)

O Provides advice to members before they (the members) takeaction, so as to avoid uncertainty over ethical culpability.


20/34

How Congress is


O The Committees and SubcommitteesO The Committees at Work: Legislation and

OversightO Committees work on the 11,000 bills every

session.

O Some hold hearings and mark up meetings.

O Oversight involves hearings and othermethods of checking the actions of the

executive branch.O As the size of government grows, oversight

grows too.


21/34

How Congress is



O Getting on a Committee

O Members want committee assignments thatwill help them get reelected, gain influence,and make policy.

O New members express their committeepreferences to the party leaders.

O Support of the party is important in getting onthe right committee.

O Parties try to grant committee preferences.


22/34

How Congress is



O Getting Ahead on the Committee: Chairs and the

Seniority System.O The chair is the most important position for controlling

legislation.

O Chairs were once chosen strictly by the seniority system.

O Now seniority is a general rule, and members may choose

the chair of their committee.O The majority party holds chairs to committees


23/34

How Congress is


O Caucuses: The Informal Organization ofCongress

O Caucus: A group of members of Congresssharing some interest or characteristic.

O Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)

O Climate Change Caucus (CCC)

O Caucuses pressure for committee meetings

and hearings and for votes on bills.O Caucuses can be more effective than lobbyists.


24/34


Make Policy

O Congressional Staff

O Personal staff: Work for the member.

Mainly providing constituent service, buthelp with legislation too.

O Committee staff: organize hearings,research & write legislation, target oflobbyists.

O Staff Agencies: CRS, GAO, CBO providespecific information to Congress.


25/34

The Congressional

ProcessO Legislation:

O Bill: A proposed law.

O Anyone can draft a bill, but only members ofCongress can introduce them.

O More rules in the House than in the Senate.

O Party leaders play a vital role in steering billsthrough both houses, but less in the Senate.

O Countless influences on the legislative process.


26/34

The

Congressional

Process

O

How a BillBecomes a Law

O See page 344-345


27/34

Methods of VotingO Voice vote: members shout yea or nay

for quick anonymous calls

O Division vote: members stand and arecounted

O Teller vote: members pass between twotellers, the yeas first and the nays

second.O Roll-call vote: members respond yea or

nay after their name is called


28/34

The Congressional

ProcessO Presidents and Congress: Partners and Protagonists

O Presidents have many resources to influence Congress

(often called the Chief Legislator).O In order to win in Congress, the president must win

several battles in each house.

O Presidential leadership of Congress is at the marginsand is most effective as a facilitator.


29/34

The Congressional

ProcessO Party, Constituency, and Ideology

O Party Influence: Party leaders cannot force party

members to vote a particular way, but many do votealong party lines.

O Constituency versus Ideology: Most constituents areuninformed about their member. It is difficult forconstituents to influence their member, but oncontroversial issues members can not ignore

constituents.


30/34

The Congressional

ProcessO Voting Views

O Attitudinal: when a Congressperson votes according to

their own ideology or what they think is best (Senatorsuse most)

O Representational: when a Congressperson votes toplease the constituents of a their district(Representatives use most)

O Organizational: when a Congress person votes alongwith their party or colleagues


31/34

The Congressional

ProcessO Lobbyists and Interest Groups

O There are several thousand lobbyists trying

to influence Congress - the bigger theissue, the more lobbyists will be working onit.

O Lobbyists can be ignored, shunned andeven regulated by Congress.

O Ultimately, it is a combination of lobbyistsand others that influence members ofCongress.


32/34

Understanding

CongressO Congress and Democracy

O Leadership and committee assignments

are not representative.O Congress does try to respond to what the

people want, but some argue it could do abetter job.

O Members of Congress are responsive to

the people, if the people make clear whatthey want.


33/34

Understanding

CongressO Congress and Democracy

O Representation versus EffectivenessO Congress is responsive to so many interests that policy is

uncoordinated, fragmented, and decentralized.O Congress is so representative that it is incapable of taking

decisive action to deal with difficult problems.

O Defenders argue because Congress is decentralized, thereis no oligarchy to prevent comprehensive action.


34/34

Understanding

CongressO Congress and the Scope of Government

O The more policies Congress works on, themore ways they can serve their constituencies.

O The more programs that get created, the biggergovernment gets.O Everybody wants government programs cut,

just not theirprograms.

O Pork-barrel legislation: legislation that gives

tangible benefits to constituents in one or moredistricts in the hope of winning their votes inreturn. (i.e. a new recreation center)

ch. 13 - congress (overview)

Documents