congress house & senate: differences in representation bicameral system: two chambers –part of...

Congress

House & Senate: Differences in Representation

• Bicameral System: Two Chambers– Part of the Connecticut Compromise– Each state has two senators– Representation in the House determined by state

population– Predicated on different models of representation

• Senate: states, with long terms• House: districts, with short terms

House & Senate: Differences in Representation

• Senate: 100 Senators– Originally selected by state legislatures– Six year terms

• House of Representatives: 435 Members– Elected by districts– Two year terms

House and Senate: Differences in Representation

House & Senate: Differences in Representation

• Congressional districts can be relatively homogeneous– Ideal for organized interests claiming to represent

constituents– Members tend to specialize in one committee

• States are far more heterogeneous– Senators have to be generalists– More open to a wider array of interests

House & Senate: Differences in Representation

• How representatives “represent”:– Sociological Representation: Representative shares

characteristics, background and interests with constituents

– Agency Representation: Representative has incentives to act in the constituents’ interests

House & Senate: Differences in Representation

• Sociological Representation

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

Chapter 12

WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS?

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

Who are the Members of 111th Congress2009?

U.S. Pop.

51%

49%

Female

Male

House

15%

85%

Senate

17%

83%

Gender

U.S. PopulationKey

Senate

House of RepresentativesSOURCES: Mildred L. Amer, “Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile,” CRS Report R40086,

February 4, 2010. U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov (accessed 3/5/10).

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

Who are the Members of 111th Congress?

U.S. Pop.

65%

13%

16%

5%

1%

White

Black

Hispanic

Asian/Pacific

NativeAmerican

House

82%

9%

6%

2%

0.2%

Senate

96%

1%

1%

2%

0%

Race

U.S. PopulationKey

Senate

House of RepresentativesSOURCES: Mildred L. Amer, “Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile,” CRS Report R40086,

February 4, 2010. U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov (accessed 3/5/10).

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

Who are the Members of 111th Congress?

U.S. Pop.

51%

24%

3%

2%

3%

17%

Protestant

Catholic

Other Christian

Jewish

Other Faiths

Unaffiliated

House

55%

31%

4%

7%

2%

1%

Senate

54%

26%

6%

13%

0%

0%

Religion

U.S. PopulationKey

Senate

House of RepresentativesSOURCES: Mildred L. Amer, “Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile,” CRS Report R40086,

February 4, 2010. U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov (accessed 3/5/10).

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

Who are the Members of 111th Congress?

U.S. Pop.

13.5%

57%

19%

1.5%

9%

< High school

High school grad.

Bachelor’s degree

Professional/Law degree

Other advanced degree

House

—

8%

29%

39%

25%

Senate

—

1%

20%

57%

22%

Education

U.S. PopulationKey

Senate

House of RepresentativesSOURCES: Mildred L. Amer, “Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile,” CRS Report R40086,

February 4, 2010. U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov (accessed 3/5/10).

WHO ARE AMERICANS?

Who are the Members of 111th Congress?

Average Age

SOURCES: Mildred L. Amer, “Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile,” CRS Report R40086,

February 4, 2010. U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov (accessed 3/5/10).

U.S. Pop. 36.9

House 57.2

Senate 63.1

House & Senate: Differences in Representation

• Representatives as Agents: Legislators learn about the interests of constituents

• Parties almost never ask a member of Congress to vote against constituent interests

The Electoral Connection

• Who gets elected?– Who decides to run– Incumbency advantage– Districting and gerrymandering issues

The Electoral Connection

• Who runs?– Candidates must “self select” to run, but some are

encouraged by parties more than others– A good candidate needs:

• Good name recognition• Success in prior elected offices• Ability to raise funds• Willingness to campaign• Ability to reach out to voters

The Electoral Connection

• Incumbency Advantage– Members of Congress have an array of tools to

keep them in office• Constituency services• Franking privilege• Name recognition and title• Pork barrel spending for district

The Power of Incumbency

The Electoral Connection

• Redistricting– The vast majority of incumbents in safe seats

come from districts where the majority of voters are from the same party as they are

– The critical election in these districts is the primary

Results of Congressional Reapportionment, 2000 [Tx +4 in 2010]

The Electoral Connection, 1910 vs 2000

• Apportionment and Districting

The Electoral Connection

• Direct Patronage– Pork barrel spending

• Earmarks

– Patronage• Some local and state elected officials have jobs to offer

to constituents

– Constituent services– Private bills

How Members of Congress Represent Their Districts

The Organization of Congress

• Building blocks of Congress– Parties– Committees– Staff– Caucuses– Parliamentary rules

The Organization of Congress

• Speaker of the House is the leader of majority party

• Both parties also elect a majority and minority leader and whip

• Parties determine which of their members sit on various committees

The Organization of Congress

• The Vice President officially chairs the Senate, but only takes the gavel at ceremonial events and in the case of a tie vote

• The President Pro Tempore usually chairs the Senate, but often hands off to another member for routine business

Majority Party Structure in the House of Representatives

Majority Party Structure in the Senate

The Organization of Congress

• Committee System– Standing committees– Select committees– Joint committees– Conference committees

The Organization of Congress

• Standing committees are permanent and are where the majority of legislation is written

The Organization of Congress

The Organization of Congress

The Organization of Congress

• Select Committees– Formed temporarily to focus on a specific issue

• Cannot present bills to the chamber• Bring attention to a specific subject

The Organization of Congress

• Joint Committees– Formed from members of both Chambers– Gather information– Cover issues internal to Congress

The Organization of Congress

• Conference Committees– For a bill to become a law, the same wording of

the bill must be passed by both chambers– Conference committees are formed to write the

final wording when both chambers pass similar bills that need to be reconciled

The Organization of Congress

• The number of seats the minority party has on a committee is roughly proportionate to the seats it has in the House, but at an unfavorable rate.

• Seniority determines committee assignments– Chairs can be removed by the party caucus– Chairs are term-limited

The Organization of Congress

• Congressional Staffers– Members of Congress need staff who are experts

in specific fields, and also staff to help constituents• Over 11,500 staff in DC and district offices• Another 2,000 staff for committees

The Organization of Congress

• Congressional Research Service– Research arm of Congress

• Congressional Budget Office (CBO)– Assesses costs of programs and income from tax

plans

• General Accounting Office– Audits federal agencies and programs

The Organization of Congress

• Congressional Caucuses– Groups of Senators or Representatives who share

common goals or interests– Some have large budgets and significant staffs,

and are capable of pressuring Congress and the Executive branch

How a Bill Becomes a Law

How a Bill Becomes a Law

• A bill is a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress and submitted to the Clerk of the House or Senate

• The bill is given a number and assigned to a committee, which typically refers it to a subcommittee

• Bills taken seriously are given a hearing

How a Bill Becomes a Law

• The subcommittee and/or full committee writes the language of the bill

• The full committee sends the bill to the floor– Bill must pass through the Rules Committee in the

House first– Rules committee gives bill an open or closed rule– Senate requires a consent agreement

How a Bill Becomes a Law

• The House rule determines how much time is allocated for floor debate; powerful com’tee!

• The debate time is divided equally between those for and against the bill

• The Senate allows for unlimited discussion, requiring 60 votes to end a filibuster via cloture

How a Bill Becomes a Law

• Once a bill clears in one chamber, it is sent to the other where the process starts over

• If both chambers pass the same wording, the bill is sent to the president

• If not, both chambers create a conference committee

How a Bill Becomes a Law

• The President is given ten days and 4 options– Veto bill -- Vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds

vote in each chamber– Pocket veto: If there are less than tens days left in

the Congressional calendar and the president does not sign the bill into law, it dies and must begin again from scratch in the next session

– Sign bill into law!– Do nothing. After 10 days, bill automatically

becomes law

How Congress Decides

How Congress Decides

• There are a number of influences on members of Congress

• Constituents– Legislators take constituents seriously if they

believe it will affect their support at the next election

How Congress Decides

• Interest Groups– Can supply legislators with information about

pending bills– Can make donations– Do they represent the interests of constituents?

Party Discipline

How Congress Decides

• Party Discipline– Congress has become bitterly partisan since

the 1990s

How Congress Decides

• Party leaders have some tools at their disposal:– Leadership PACs– Committee assignments– Access to the floor– The whip system– Logrolling– Presidency

Oversight

In 2006, the Senate Judiciary Committee responded to concerns about President Bush’s authorization of secret domestic surveillance by holding hearings on the program. Former attorney general Alberto Gonzales was called to testify and explain the administration’s actions.

Beyond Legislation

• Oversight– Congress is expected to oversee the activities of

the Executive Branch in order to ensure funding is spent and laws are enforced properly

Beyond Legislation

• Advice and Consent– The Senate must confirm top-level executive

appointments, ambassadors and federal judges– Must also approve all treaties

Impeachment

Beyond Legislation

• Impeachment– If high officials are thought to have committed

“Treason, Bribery or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors” they can be impeached

– The House acts as a grand jury and makes the formal charge or indictment (majority vote required)

– The Senate conducts the actual trial and with 2/3 vote can convict and remove a President from office

– Chief Justice of Supreme Court presides over Presidential impeachment trial

Debate, After the 2010 Gulf oil spill, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held hearings on the disaster. Executives from BP America, Transocean Limited,

and Halliburton were called to testify on their companies’ roles in the spill.

The Legislator’s Dilemma

• Delegate or Trustee?– What should a legislator do when she disagrees

with her constituents about an important issue?– She may know more about the issue than her

constituents, and if they knew as much, they may also think differently

Public Opinion Poll

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job?

a) Strongly approve

b) Approve

c) Disapprove

d) Strongly disapprove

Public Opinion Poll

Do you approve or disapprove of the way your member of Congress is handling his or her job?

a) Strongly approve

b) Approve

c) Disapprove

d) Strongly disapprove

Public Opinion Poll

Do you believe we should have term limits for Members of Congress?

a) Yes

b) No

Public Opinion Poll

Do you believe state legislatures should consider the racial makeup of a district when redistricting?

a) Yes

b) No

Public Opinion Poll

Do you think it is important that the demographics of Congress represent the social, racial and economic demographics of the country?

a) Yes

b) No

Public Opinion Poll

When members of Congress cast a vote, which of the following factors should typically most influence their decision?

a) The interests of the country as a whole

b) The interests of their district or state

Public Opinion Poll

Which of the following do you believe should be the most influential factor in the voting decisions of members of congress?

a) The preferences of their constituents

b) The preferences of the President

c) The preferences of the Members’ Party Leadership

d) The members’ own ideology

Chapter 12: Congress

• Quizzes

• Flashcards

• Outlines

• Exercises

wwnorton.com/we-the-people

Following this slide, you will find additional images, figures, and tables from the textbook.

Differences between the House and the Senate

The Social Composition of the U.S. Congress

Party Leadership in the Senate

The Staff System: Staffers and Agencies

Party Discipline

Celebrities, Capitol Hill, andthe 2009 Health Care Debate

What Is Congress’s Role in Foreign Policy?

Get Your Representatives in Congress Working for You

Incumbency