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Outline: Congress

Outline: Congress. Basics Elections Differences between chambers Incumbency Structure and Processes Party Leadership The Committee System Norms How a Bill Becomes Law. Basics. Members. Basics. Members Who can run? House Senate “Representative?”. 108 th Congress.

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Outline: Congress

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  1. Outline: Congress • Basics • Elections • Differences between chambers • Incumbency • Structure and Processes • Party Leadership • The Committee System • Norms • How a Bill Becomes Law

  2. Basics • Members

  3. Basics • Members • Who can run? • House • Senate • “Representative?”

  4. 108th Congress

  5. 108th Congress

  6. 108th Congress

  7. 108th Congress

  8. 108th Congress

  9. 108th Congress

  10. 108th Congress

  11. 108th Congress

  12. 108th Congress

  13. Elections • Great Compromise • Differences in Elections • House • Senate • Reapportionment

  14. Elections • Reapportionment • CA gained more seats (7) in 1990 than Iowa has (5) • CA has more seats than the following, combined: • IA, MN, WI, ND, SD, NE, KS, MO, CO, AR, WY, AK! • Size of the House

  15. Elections • Incumbency

  16. Elections

  17. Elections • Incumbency • Why so much incumbency? • Members like serving • Voters keep re-electing them • Tactics: • Claim credit • Take positions • Advertise

  18. Elections • Campaign money • Pitfalls of incumbency • Troublesome issues • Personal misconduct • Strong challengers

  19. Structure and Process • House Party Leadership • Speaker • Dennis Hastert (R-IL) • Majority Leader • Tom Delay (R-TX) • Minority Leader • Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) • Whips • Roy Blunt (R-MO) • Steny Hoyer (D-MD) • Rules Committee

  20. Structure and Process • Senate Party Leadership • Majority Leader • Bill Frist (R-TN) • Minority Leader • Tom Daschle (D-SD)

  21. Structure and Process • The Committee System “Congress in session is Congress on display. Congress in committee is Congress at work.” Woodrow Wilson (1885)

  22. Structure and Process • The Committee System • House • Senate • Chairs • Norms

  23. How a Bill Becomes Law

  24. How a Bill Becomes Law • The Legislative Obstacle Course • Legislators as Lawmakers

  25. House 2 year terms Chosen by districts 435 members Rigid rules Taxing and Spending Impeachment charges More partisan Senate 6 year terms Chosen by states 100 members Loose rules Treaties and appointments Impeachment trial Less party loyalty Summary of House-Senate Differences

  26. Comparison with the British Parliament • Fusion, not separation, of powers • Parliament manages both the legislative and executive powers • Legislative powers include passing laws • Executive powers include choosing prime minister (who leads majority party) and his/her cabinet • Bicameral • House of Commons and House of Lords

  27. House of Commons 659 elected MPs More powerful house Most bills introduced by the “government” (i.e., prime minister and cabinet) House of Lords 92 hereditary peers (e.g., dukes, earls) 544 others appointed for life by Queen and bishops of the Church of England Has little power Comparison with the British Parliament

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