1 / 50

Congress

Congress. Examine the organization of Congress Discuss Congress elections Discuss Congress reapportionment. Discuss Congress Powers Read the US Constitution; Article I Read Chp 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4 HAG Read Fed Papers 51, 57, and 58. The Structure of Congress:.

pascha
Télécharger la présentation

Congress

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Congress • Examine the organization of Congress • Discuss Congress elections • Discuss Congress reapportionment. • Discuss Congress Powers • Read the US Constitution; Article I • Read Chp 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4 • HAG Read Fed Papers 51, 57, and 58

  2. The Structure of Congress: What kind of structure does Congress have? ?__________________ legislature What does that mean?

  3. Bicameral Legislature A legislature with two houses–such as: House of Represen-tatives Senate

  4. Capital Hill Impact that favors…? What kind of majority required to pass legislation? Sometimes resulting in…?

  5. Formal Qualifications Live in the districts they represent. Be at least 25 years old Have been a U.S. citizen for at least 7 years Be an inhabitant of the state from which he or she is elected.

  6. House Rules: House of Representatives • All Representatives elected every two years • Total number capped at 435 members • 435 seats apportioned among the 50 states • Number of Representatives for each state proportionateto total population (IAW Census)

  7. The House of Representatives (HoR) • Reapportionment? • Redistribution of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives among the 50 states • Redistribution based on what every 10 years with Census? • Only for HoR

  8. The House of Representatives (HoR) • Redistricting? • Drawing the lines for representation within the States • What are the various ways to “redistrict” ?*

  9. Redistricting – Counting the ways…

  10. Capital Hill Impact that favors…? What kind of majority required to pass legislation? Sometimes resulting in…?

  11. The Senate Members are elected to six-year terms. Senators must be at least 30 years old, Be aU.S. citizen for at least nine years, Reside in the state they represent. Senators are often seen as less subject to public pressure and more concerned about national issues than members of the House.

  12. Rules of the Senate • Senators serve six year terms • 1/3 of “class” elected every two years (why?) • Reduce turnover effect • Each state has two senators • Vacancies in Senate can be filled through appointment (state rules) Senate

  13. The Senate – How is it different? • Make up & longer term’s impact on Senate? • 100 vs. 435) & (6 vs. 2 years) • Less responsive to voters – why?* • Not up for re-election until six years from now!

  14. The Senate – How is it different? • How did 17th Amendmentchange Senate?* • From Elite Men’s Club w/apprenticeship period to • From indirect to Direct vote indirect elections by state legislature=> impact? • New Rules of 1970s => more decentralized power • Individual junior Senators more active in floor debate

  15. Elections

  16. The House of Representatives (HoR) • Elections=> impact of 2 year term of office? • Why: more responsive • Closer to mood of the people – why?

  17. Getting & Staying There—Congressional Elections • Incumbents andReelection: • Overwhelming prospects for reelection (Figure 11-1) • House incumbents – 90%+ vs. Senate – 75% • Key questions: • Why do incumbents who run usually win? • Why do House incumbents do better than Senate?

  18. Incumbent Reelection (1946-2004)

  19. Incumbent Re-election Success Rate House of Representatives Senate Incumbent victory percentage since 1946 Now 98% (2004) Now 96% (2004)

  20. The Incumbents’ Advantages • Advantage of Responsibility (of the office) • 1. Bringing home the porkto one’s State or district • 2. Supporting popular views of their constituents • 3. Free advertisement of incumbent’s official activities • 4. Local media reporting of Congress press releases • Resources of Office: • 5. Constituent service – staff responsive to voters • 6. Who is a “helped voter” likely to vote for in future? • 7. $$$ provided to return home on weekends=> • Incumbents able to attend face to face meetings with Voters

  21. Compensation • Congress sets its own pay. • Today all but a few senators and representatives with special titles make $174,00 per year.

  22. How do incumbents lose? • Lose touch with constituents (perception) • “Potomac fever” (Lost inside “the Beltway”) • Scandal => Bad Press back home • Corruption (perception or reality) => indictment • Opposition (out of power) able to paint other party w/broad brush • Midterm elections- reflection of anunpopular president • Voters want to send a message to the party in power • Opposition able to “nationalize” local elections (Iraq War-2006) • Senators especially vulnerable

  23. The Election Setting & Reelection • Single-member districts => impact? • Each district Rep. likely to share views of constituent majority • If they didn’t they probably couldn’t get elected! • Redistricting Maps drawn to favor incumbents • Party in control of State Legislature draws the map • Various options shown by Figure 11-2 Most likely option to be chosen? (Midterm redistricting in Texas- Tom Delay)

  24. 2012 election

  25. Gerrymandering Drawing congressional district boundaries to favor one party over the other What happens when carried to the extreme?

  26. Divided Government When the ?_________ is of one party and the other party has a majority in at least one house of ?_____________

  27. Key Issues of Concern • Does power corrupt after a time?- recent scandals: • GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff’sguilty plea & its fall out: • Result: flood of resignations, indictments, & convictions • Conviction ofRep Cunningham for bribery & guilty plea of Rep Bob Neyfor corruption & influence-peddling • Jesse Jackson Jr(D) indicted overall fraud • More indictments of others in Congress & Administration • Recent resignation of White House Aide to Carl Rove • Rep Jefferson (LA-D) caught in $90K FBI sting • Sex scandal involving Rep Foley (FL-R) & his inappropriate e-mails & sexually explicit IMs to Congressional male Pages • Impact: public opinion polls for Congress fall • Along with war=> direct impact on the outcome of the 2006 midterm elections

  28. Article I: Congress and Powers • Bicameral: • Senate • 2 Senators for each state • House of Representatives • Based on population • Reps serve for 2 year terms • Senators serve for 6 year terms • Important Powers: • Make laws • Set taxes • Declare war • Override Vetoes • Borrow money • Regulate international and national trade • Print money

  29. What are Congress’s powers? The commerce power gives Congress the authority to regulate interstate and foreign trade, but not trade within a state. (Both) Congress has the power to tax income and imported goods, but not exports. (Both) Congress can set bankruptcy laws (Both) Congress can coin and print money (Both) Impeachment (HoR) Trial (Senate) Regulation of industry (Both) Declare War (Both) Make Laws (Both) Override Vetoes (Both) Approve all federal funds (Both) Approve all Presidential Appointments (Senate)

  30. Gibbons v. Ogden Checkpoint: What was the Court’s decision in the 1824 case Gibbons v. Ogden? The Court interpreted “commerce” to include all commercial exchanges between nations and parts of nations, not just the buying and selling of goods. This broad interpretation of commerce leaves many questions that Congress and the courts must continue to answer with new laws and rulings.

  31. Americans with Disabilities Act • Based on the commerce power, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. It prohibits against discrimination against people with disabilities in areas such as employment, public accommodation, public transportation, and access to commercial buildings.

  32. The Power to Tax • Most government taxes on people or property are levied to raise money for public needs. • In what way does this cartoon show a negative attitude toward taxes?

  33. Borrowing There are no constitutional limits on how much money Congress can borrow or for what purposes. The Treasury borrows money by issuing securities like T-bills and bonds that it promises to repay later with interest. Congress routinely spends more than it takes in, borrowing money to make up the difference. This deficit spending increases the public debt.

  34. Congress as an Organization: Overview

  35. Speaker of the House • Chief Parliamentary Officer=> controls the House • Controls legislation referred to committee • Schedules when legislation will be debated on floor • Recognizes members on floor during a debate • Decideswhen to call a vote • Speaker’sInformal powers: • Controls flow of information to House membership • Power to give or withhold favors • Also leader of majority party(Who currently holds office?)

  36. Majority Leader Majority Whip • Leadership’s chief vote counter • Monitors mood of House mbrs • Keeps leadership informed • Informs members of schedule & “how to vote” along party lines • Compel votes along party lines? • Helps schedule legislation • Helps develop party positions • Speaks forparty on House floor • (Why not the Speaker instead?)*

  37. Majority Leader Majority Whip Responsible for keeping majority party unified and helping to craft strategies for the Majority Party • Who is the Majority Leader?

  38. Minority Leader Minority Whip Responsible for keeping minority party unified and helping to craft strategies for the Minority Party What’s the primary role of the MinorityLeadership? • Loyal ?_________ => (to majority party in power) • Three Strategies available to Minority Party? • - 1. ?___________ • - 2. ?__________ • - 3. ?_________ • Strategy usually selected? Who is the current House Minority Leader?

  39. Senate Organization Chart • Most powerful Senate Standing committees?

  40. The Business of Congress • Congress makes laws • (Their primary job!) • The Legislative Process: • 1. Policy initiation(source of policy ideas?) • Member’s key role – ?__________________ bill • Co-sponsorship (getting support of other members) • Improve prospects for Bill’s passage • 2. Committee Process: • * How a Bill becomes law *

  41. How a Bill becomes Law- Overview

  42. Legislative Process inHouse of Representatives Bill referred to committee Bill referred to subcommittee Member Introduces Bill Note: Same version of the bill must pass both Houses Bill reported out by full committee

  43. The House Rules Committee Rules Committee Action* Debate and Vote

  44. Lawmaking in the Senate Bill Referred to Committee Bill Referred to Subcommittee (Markup) Bill Reported by Full Committee

  45. Lawmaking in Senate – Debate & Vote Debate Scheduled by Informal Negotiation Debate and Vote before full Senate

  46. Strategies of Delay in the Senate Filibuster The tactic of ?_______________ a bill in the Senate by talking endlessly about the bill in order to win changes in it or kill it. How can this attempt to delay or kill a bill be stopped?

More Related