Chapter 7 - Congress

1. POL 140
Fall 2014

6. Article I of the Constitution
establishes the legislative branch.

7.  Larger chamber
 Representation by
state population
 Mode of Election
 People

8.  Smaller chamber
 Representation
through equality
 Mode of Election
 State Legislatures
 People

9.  Debate between large
and small states
 House made large
states happy
 Senate made small
states happy
 Debate over appropriate
degree of popular
influence on government
 House:Two-year terms
 Responsive to popular will
 Senate: Six-year terms
 Slower and deliberative

12.  Constituency: Group of people in one’s
district or state who elects them to Congress

13.  House: Each member represents a
congressional district that lies within a state

14.  Senate: Each member runs “at-large” or
represents the entire state

15. DELEGATE
REPRESENTATION
 Representative follows
wishes and preferences of
their constituents
TRUSTEE REPRESENTATION
 Representative listens to
their constituents
 Makes up own mind on
best course of action

16.  Focuses on accountability and responsiveness
 Includes:
 Policy Representation
 Allocative Representation
 Casework

18.  Congressperson represents positive values
consistent with politics and government
 Examples: Speaking at high school and
inspiring youth to vote

19.  Representation should include factors such
as race, ethnicity, gender, etc.
 Congress should look likeAmerica. Does it?

20.  Representative could substantively
represent you even if not in district or state
Sen.Tammy Baldwin
(D-WI) could advocate for
pro-LGBT politics for
everyone in America.

22.  “Necessary and Proper Clause” (NPC)
 Congress able to carry out enumerated powers
 Implied Powers
 Powers added through NPC

23.  Formal Declaration ofWar
 MilitaryOperations

24.  Congress has used Commerce Clause to:
 Break up monopolies
 Protect labor unions
 Set minimum wage
 Outlaw racial discrimination

25.  General welfare clause
 Congress appropriates money on programs it
authorizes through lawmaking
 Congress’s “power of the purse”

26.  President,Vice President, other officials
 Process is in two steps:
 1) House of Representatives votes on formal charges
against the federal official
 2) Senate conducts trial

27.  Congress’s oversight function helps it monitor how
executive branch implements law
 Hearings
 Public Feedback
 Reports from Executive Agencies
 Special Committees / Investigations

28.  Senate’s “advice and consent” power:
 RatifyTreaties
 Confirm presidential appointments to Supreme
Court and executive branch

29.  Bills for raising revenue originate in House

33.  Is this a district or state I can win?
 Can I beat my opponent?
 Issue of Incumbency Advantage
 Can I get money to run winning campaign?
 How are the national trends running?

38.  Congress organized along party lines
 Parties = Competing issue positions
 Party Polarization
 Distance between two political parties

40.  Presiding officer in House
 Leader and chief
spokesperson for
majority
Rep. John Boehner
(R-OH)

41.  Second-in-Command
behind Speaker
 Works with Speaker to
decide party agenda
 Coordinates with
committee leaders on
pending legislation
Rep. Kevin McCarthy
(R-CA)

42.  Highest-ranking member
of minority party
 Serves as public
spokesperson for minority
 Craft minority party’s
position on issues
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA)

43. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA)
MAJORITYWHIP
STENY HOYER (D-MD)
MINORITY WHIP
Whips find out how members intend to vote
and persuade members to support party positions.

45.  Presides over Senate
and votes in case of a tie
 VP rarely performs this job
in modern times
Vice President
Joe Biden

46.  Senator of majority
party with longest
tenure in office
 Largely ceremonial
position but can
appoint members to
committees, etc.
Sen. Patrick Leahy
(D-VT)

47. MAJORITY LEADER
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV)
MINORITY LEADER
MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY)

48.  Managing party membership
 Scheduling Senate business for members
 Monitoring deliberations on Senate floor
 Intermediary for Congress andWhite House
 Representing party/Senate to media

49. DICK DURBIN (D-IL)
MAJORITYWHIP
JOHN CORNYN (R-TX)
MINORITY WHIP
These whips unite
senators in their
respective parties
and draft legislative
proposals to pass
on the Senate floor.

51.  All legislation that passes the House and
Senate goes through a committee
 Majority party has majority of seats on cmte.
 Republicans in House
 Democrats in Senate
 Committee Chair from majority party
 Ranking Member from minority party

52.  Standing Committees
 Permanent Committees
 Major Policy Areas (e.g. Budget, Judiciary)
 Select or Special Committees
 Temporary Committees (e.g. investigations)
 Focused on narrow issues
 Joint Committees
 Both House and Senate membership
 Conference Committees
 Resolve House and Senate versions of passed legislation

53.  Major Caucuses in Congress:
 Congressional Black Caucus
 Women’s Caucus
 Tea Party Caucus
 Why would someone join a caucus?

57.  Ideas can come from anywhere:
 President, Constituents, fellow Congressmen, etc.
 Member introduces idea in form of a bill
 They are the bill’s sponsor
 After bill is introduced, cosponsors can
support the legislation

59.  Importance of Jurisdiction
 Most bills DIE in committee

60.  Bill assigned to a subcommittee
 Smaller group of legislators who focuses on one
part of committee’s issues

61.  Testimony on content and impact of a bill
 Main Purposes of Hearings:
 Draw attention to problem or issue
 Advantages and disadvantages to bill
 Express constituents’ questions and concerns

62.  Subcommittee drafts (marks up) the bill
 Bill goes back to full committee
 Committee can conduct additional hearings
and debate on the bill
 If accepted, bill reported out of committee

64.  To proceed to the House floor, all bills must
pass through the House Rules Committee
 What is a rule?

65.  Majority party structures debate to limit the
minority party’s opportunity to change a bill

66.  Prevents bill from being voted on for 24 hours
 Why would senators hold up a bill?
 More information on policy issue
 Get something from leadership orWhite House

67.  What is a filibuster?
 Powerful tool in Senate
 Endless speeches on topic
 Can it be stopped?
 Cloture is motion to end debate
 Requires three-fifths vote (60 senators)

69.  Personal Opinion / Judgment
 Constituent Opinion
 Interest Groups

70.  Political Parties
 The President
 Logrolling

72.  What if different versions of same bill?
 Conference committee resolves differences
 Bill sent to president if both chambers
approve work of conference committee

76. PRESIDENTIAL ACTION RESULT FOR BILL
President approves bill Bill becomes law
President disapproves bill
and vetoes it
Bill goes back to Congress,
where two-thirds majority
in each House can override
President does nothing
with the bill (pocket veto)
Automatically becomes
law within 10 days OR
bill is dead and must be
re-introduced in Congress