Government and Governing

1. Government and Governing Making Laws: The Congress

4. Checks and Balances • House • Representation based on population; reapportionment is based on the national census, which is done every ten years • State legislatures draw the district lines • The dominant party will draw the lines in a way that retains power • Gerrymandering • Majority-Minority districts

6. Checks and Balances • Equal representation in the Senate • Gives great power to the small states • Can distort popular sentiment • Diminishes equality • Senate is unrepresentative: more than half of the senators in the 104th Congress come from states that together make up only one-fifth of the population

7. How Congress Works • Political parties in Congress • Legislative business is organized along party lines • Party voting • Party identification serves as a cue • Not clear if party voting differences are caused by party identification or by constituents • Party discipline is weak

9. How Congress Works • Congressional Leadership • House • Speaker • Third in line of succession to the presidency • No clear cut rules for the job • Majority floor leader: helps Speaker plan strategy • Minority floor leader: chief spokesperson for the opposition • Party whips: act as liaisons between leaders and the “rank and file”; keep track of voting

10. How Congress Works • Congressional Leadership • Senate • President of the Senate is the Vice President • President pro tempore: most senior member of the Senate • Majority leader • Influences/controls committee assignments, scheduling business, and office space • Weaker than the Speaker of the House • Minority leader: leads the opposition

11. How Congress Works • Committees • Why does Congress use committees? • Screening devices • Specialization • Enhances chances for reelection

12. How Congress Works • Types of committees • Standing: permanent and organized by subject matter • Select: temporary and created to conduct studies or investigations • Joint: organized to expedite business and facilitate the flow of legislation • Conference: joint committees formed to reconcile differences in bills

13. How Congress Works • Congress is guided by formal rules and informal norms • Rules: specify how things should be done and what is and is not allowed • House • More rule-bound, organized, and hierarchical • Leaders are more powerful; procedures are more structured • Restricted floor debate; limited amendments; members are restricted to one major committee • More specialized than the Senate

14. How Congress Works • Congress is guided by formal rules and informal norms • Rules: specify how things should be done and what is and is not allowed • Senate • More relaxed and informal than the House • Senators are more independent • Less specialization • Unrestricted floor debate • Unanimous consent • Filibuster • cloture

16. How Congress Works • Congress is guided by formal rules and informal norms • Norms: generally accepted expectations about behavior • Reciprocity • Courtesy • Respect for • Reelection motives • Frequent visits back home • Members’ advertisement, taking credit, etc.

17. Representation & Democracy • The average congressional person is a white male in his mid to late 50’s who is a lawyer, or has some other type of post-baccalaureate degree, and is a member of the upper middle class. • Is this a problem? Why? Why not?

18. Representation & Democracy • In terms of demographics, who are the members of Congress? • Race: women and racial minorities are significantly underrepresented • Social class: family wealth, great education, mostly lawyers and business people

21. Representation & Democracy • How do they determine how they will vote? • Edmund Burke described two styles • Delegate: representative who tries to reflect the views of his/her constituency • Trustee: representative who acts independently and uses his/her best judgment

22. Representation & Democracy • Representational View: issues directly impacting their constituents • Are the views of the voters that clear? • Organizational View: respond to cues given by their colleagues • Attitudinal View: ideology affects the way a member votes

23. Representation & Democracy Does it matter how they vote?

25. Representation & Democracy • Incumbency: some signs of change • High turnover if we look at the percentage of incumbents who actually return after an election as opposed to the incumbent reelection rate • Turnover • Members retired • Defeated at the nomination stage by members of their own parties

26. Representation & Democracy • Money and congressional elections • It is expensive to run for office and is getting more expensive • The amount of money spent is related to the probability of winning, but it does not guarantee winning • Incumbents usually raise and spend more money than challengers

28. Representation & Democracy • Yes, but it is still great to be an incumbent! • Attract more money • Can use congressional resources • Casework • Franking • Pork

29. Representation & Democracy • So how representative is Congress? • To a degree, they vote and pass laws based on public opinion • It is also true that • They do not always follow public opinion. The public often has no opinions or preferences on certain subjects, which means • Congress is influenced by money and interest groups • Democracy is impaired because these influences distort popular sovereignty and also undermine political equality

30. Congress, Public Policyand American Public • Congress as a policymaker • Criticisms: fragmented, will not take responsibility; too cozy with interest groups, unethical, etc. • Assessment of Criticisms: • Mixed – sometimes Congress does well, and sometimes it does not • Congress seems to do better under the direction of strong presidential leadership

31. Congress, Public Policyand American Public • The American people • Like their own representatives and senators, but they dislike Congress as an institution • Approval ratings are related to good economic times and confidence about the future • Americans • Have unrealistic expectations of Congress • Do not like the messiness of the democratic process

32. Critical Thinking Questions • Survey data show that Americans have a low level of respect for Congress as an institution, yet we continue to reelect members at very high rates. Why? • Do voters make their decisions based on the well-being of the nation or on localized needs and priorities?