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Congress IV- Voting. 3/27/2012. Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: identify and explain the role of formal and informal institutions and their effect on policy.
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Congress IV- Voting 3/27/2012
Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form • Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: • identify and explain the role of formal and informal institutions and their effect on policy. • to understand and interpret the United States Constitution and apply it to present policy dilemmas. • to assess the 2010 and 2012 elections without resorting to partisan bickering.
Office Hours and Readings • Chapter 4 (pp. 110-129) • Office Hours • Today 11-2 • Wednesday 10-2
Voting in the Senate • 51 votes in theory, 60 in reality • Filibuster • Cloture • Reconciliation
The Final Steps • Must Pass both Houses in Identical Form • Conference Committee • Sign or Veto • Finally Becomes Law
Why Committees • Division of Labor • Participation • Specialization
The Role of Committees • Process all the work • Filter Legislation • Where most legislation dies
Standing Committees • Permanent entities • 19 in the House • about 42 per committee • 16 in the Senate • 20 per committee • Membership reflects party proportion.
Other Committees • Conference Committee • Joint Committees • Select Committees
Subcommittees • Within a standing committee • Provides more expertise, but slows things down
You want to be a chair • Selected by party leaders • Chairs wield vast power • PACS give money to chairs and ranking members
Committee Types • Reelection Power • Prestige/power within the body • Policy
Committees- Good and Bad • In the House • In the Senate • What you don’t want
"The most accurate form of public opinion polling is the vote."Walter Dean Burnham
It Says Very Little Voting in the constitution
What The Constitution Says • Article I Section 2 • Article I Section 4
Civil War Amendments • 14th- Male and 21 for federal elections • 15th- Cannot Deny on the condition of race or previous servitude
17th Amendment (1913) • Senators will be elected by the people • This Ends appointment by state legislature
19th Amendment • Wyoming is the first state to grant women’s suffrage • states cannot deny the right to vote on account of sex
Recent Expansions • 23rd Amendment • 26th Amendment • Expanding to win
The Role of the States • States still can control who votes as long as they do not violate the federal law • Restrictions Today
Three Big Things Who Votes
Age and Voting • Older People vote more • Why • Curvilinear relationship!
Education and Voting • This is a linear relationship • Why do better educated people vote more?
Income and Voting • Wealthy people vote at higher Rates • Related to education • Lower Information Costs
Other Factors • Partisanship • Previous Voting History
Why Young People Don’t Vote • Are Unfamiliar with the system- • Are one step above Gypsies • Have less formal and political education
Low Social Capital • Writings of Robert Putnam • Are not connected to the community • As a Result, have low interest in politics
High and low stimulus elections: The Saw-tooth Pattern Turnout in Recent Elections
Presidential elections • Why Higher • What is the Result- the exciting saw-tooth pattern
Turnout in 2004 • Higher than 2000, which was supposed to favor Democrats • Why Higher Turnout • Who it helped?
Voter Turnout in 2008 • 130 Million voted, 61% which was the highest rate since 1968 • Where was turnout up? • Best States • Worst States
People expected more Voters in 2008 • Only slightly higher than 2004 • 18-29 year olds did not increase greatly • Why No increase?
Turnout in 2010 • Very Similar to 2006 • A Smaller Electorate than 2008 • 42% overall
Low Motivation from The Left • Every Democratic Group claimed responsibility for President Obama’s Victory • Supporters wanted immediate policy change on their issue
Who Voted • GOP was more energized • More conservative • Older • Whiter
Groups most likely to vote Democratic stayed at home, and enabled the GOP to win at all levels