AP Gov Chapter 11
What groups are underrepresented in Congress
-African Americans (10% in House and 2 senators) -Hispanics (29% in House and 3 senators) -Asians -Native Americans
How much do congressional candidates spend
-total $2 billion for 435 house seats and 33 senate -the average House winner spent $1.6 million -the average Senate winner spent $11.5 million
How have members of Congress use the digital age to their advantage
-track the interests of individual votes, file it in a database, and then use email or phone to engage directly with the voter on issues they know they care about -they use taxpayer's money to employ a technology that allows them to call thousands of households at the same time and deliver a recorded message -they know where the constituents live because of area codes from phone numbers -they gather information to get a detailed list of the specific interests of thousands of voters -emails allow for personal interaction
What are the possible explanations for the success of incumbents
-voters know how their elected representatives vote on important policy -how voters feel about presidential candidates influences their choices on voting for Congress
*pork barrel*
federal projects, grants, and contracts available to state and local governments, businesses, colleges, and other institutions in a congressional district
What do members of Congress take credit for
federally-financed new highways, sewage treatment plants, or research institutions in their constituencies
What is one reason women are underrepresented
fewer women than men become major party nominees for office
What is congress a collection of
generalists
When are backgrounds of representatives important
if they influence how they prioritize and vote on issues ex: women are more active in pursuing interests of women and businessmen are more pro-business than other members
What did Sarah Fulton find
in the 2012 elections, women won 46 percent of the House races and 61 percent of the senate races, but despite this record, women only constitute 1/5 of Congress
What is the most predictable aspect of congressional election
incumbents usually win
What do safe seats do
it makes it more difficult for citizens to "send a message to Washington" with their votes because it takes a large shift in votes to affect the outcomes of most elections
What would happen if congressional seats were more competitive
it would be easier to change Congress
What did the framers of the constitution conceived as the center of the policymaking in America
legislature, the plan was for congress to resolve disputes not the White House or Supreme Court
What would defeating incumbents mean
losing their lawmaking experience
What can a congressperson never show that he or she alone is responsible for
major policy because they are only 1/435 of the house or 1/100 of the senate so they can't promise to end inflation, cut taxes, etc
Do voters always remember who their elected officials are
no, most citizens have trouble recalling the names of their congressional representatives and don't keep up with their voting records
Are the odds of senate incumbents winning reelection as good as in the House
no, they usually win by narrower margins
Is being a member of Congress as glamorous as Americans make it out to be
no, they work 14 hour days dashing from meeting to meeting, continuous travel, lack of time for exchange of ideas or reflection, constant fund raising, and the feeling that Congress is making little progress in solving the country's problems
What do voters appraise women candidates higher than male candidateson
non-policy characteristics such as integrity, competence, collaboration, and problem solving skills
What is congress both
our central policymaking branch and our principal representative branch
What are members of Congress first and foremost
politicians
What do members of Congress emphasize
their experience, hard work, trustworthiness, and service to their constituencies
What happens when an incumbent does not run for reelection
their seat is open and there is a greater likelihood for real competition for the seat because there is a greater chance of winning
What is caused because incumbents usually win reelection
there is some stability in the membership of Congress
What is each state guaranteed through the bicameral
they are guaranteed two senators and the number of representatives are determined by the state's population
What is the main reason people challenge incumbents
they are often naive about their chances of winning because very few people have the money, so they are relying on friends who tell them what they want to hear
What is the result of the advantages of incumbents because of the advertising and credit claiming
they are usually much better known than their opponents and have a more favorable public image
What are the qualities of those who run against incumbents
they are usually not well known or well qualified and lack experience and organizational and financial backing
What have state legislatures done when drawing House boundaries
they have drawn it so the House districts have a majority for one party in the area
What do challengers have to do to face the incumbents
they have to raise large sums if they want to defeat the incumbent because the more they spend the more votes they receive
What do women need to win the vote
they must be more qualified on average than their male opponents
What qualities must members of congress take unrelated to partisan or programmatic content
they must take position on policies when they vote and when they respond to constituents' questions, and the position may affect the outcome of their elections, particularly if the issues are salient and the majority disagree
What would happen if representatives don't share the same perspectives as their constituents
they probably won't be elected
What happened during Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama's elections
they won all 6 of their presidential elections, but in each election they received smaller percentage of the vote than did almost every winning member of their party in Congress
*incumbents*
those individuals who already hold office. In congressional elections, incumbents usually win
How can members service the constituency
through casework or through obtaining federal funds
What is the goal of advertising
visibility
What is the power of presidential "coattails"
voters supporting congressional candidates because those candidates belong to the president's party
Do most incumbents decide to run for reelection
yes
Senate v House: membership
*Senate*: 100 members *House*: 435 members
Senate v House: term of office
*Senate*: 6 years *House*: 2 years
Senate v House: constitutional powers
*Senate*: confirms many presidential nominations, approves treaties, and tries to impeach officials *House*: initiates all revenue bills, passes all articles of impeachment
Senate v House: centralization of power
*Senate*: less centralized, weaker leadership *House*: more centralized, stronger leadership
Senate v House: role of seniority
*Senate*: less important in determining power *House*: more important in determining power
Senate v House: turnover
*Senate*: moderate *House*: small
Senate v House: role in policymaking
*Senate*: more influential on foreign affairs; less specialized *House*: more influential on budget; more specialized
Senate v House: political prestige
*Senate*: more prestige *House*: less prestige
Senate v House: procedures
*Senate*: unlimited debate *House*: limited debate; limits on floor amendments allowed
Senate v House: constituencies
*Senate*: usually larger *House*: usually smaller
What are reasons that women have less ambition to run
-a study found that women with children are significantly less ambitious about running for office than their male counterparts because of greater child care responsibilities -their decision to run are more sensitive than men's to their perceptions of the odds of winning -women are less likely than men to run when they perceive their odds to be poor but more likely than are men to run when they detect a political opportunity
What are the three primary activities that increase the probability of incumbents being reelected
-advertising -credit claiming -position taking
What can help challengers have more of a fighting chance against incumbents
-an incumbent is tarnished by scandal or corruption -boundaries change after the census -major political tidal waves (when the public turns against a party)
What specification does the Constitution make about members of the House
-at least 25 years old -be an American citizen for 7 years -must reside in the state they are elected in
What specification does the Constitution make about senators
-at least 30 years old -be an American citizen for 9 years -must reside in the state they are elected in
What is the difference between challenger and incumbent spending
-challengers gain recognition and chance to be heard -incumbents already have the recognition, so they benefit less than the challengers
What practices do members of Congress do for advertising
-keep themselves visible to their constituents -make frequent trips to their state or district -use the franking privilege to mail newsletters to every household in their constituency
What are the attractions to the job of being a member of Congress
-power -earn a salary of 174,000 -receive generous retirement and health benefits
What have members of Congress been doing more for reelection than ever before
-raising and spending more campaign funds -sending more mail to their constituents -visiting their states and districts more often -staffing more local offices than ever before
How do male independent voters vote
-they are equally supportive of male and female candidates when women have a quality advantage -when candidates have the same quality, male independents are 23 percent less likely to vote for female than male candidates
What are people who are typically elected for congress like
-they come from occupations with high status -have substantial incomes -business, law, and academia are prominent prior occupations
Why is it harder for Senate to be reelected
-they represent entire states, which are almost always more diverse than a congressional district within a state so it provides a larger base for opposition to an incumbent -they are in less contact with their constituencies -they receive more coverage in the media than representatives and are more likely to be held accountable on controversial issues -they draw more skilled and visible challengers who voters already know
What do members of Congress risk when they go to their constituents and stress their policymaking record and stand on policy issues
-they risk alienating some of the constituents -it may win some friends, but it will make enemies of voters who link that vote with service cutbacks
How many Americans could make an accurate guess about how their representatives voted on any issues in Congress
1/5
How many senators are there
100, 2 from each state
How much does the typically incumbent outspend the challenger by
2 to 1
When was partisan polarization at a historic high
2013
What percent do women encounter as a vote deficit relative to their male counterparts
3 percent
How many members are there in the House
435
How many members of Congress are there
535
What percent of voters vote for the party they identify with for House elections
90
What percent of house incumbents seeking reelection win
90 percent with more than 60 percent of the vote
What was an exception to the "one who spends the most usually wins"
Linda McMahon spent $49 million and lost to Christopher Murphy who spent about 1/5 as much money
What position in Congress is reserved for lawyers
district attorney
Who are the most underrepresented in Congress
Women, they account for half the population but they are only 19% of the House and 20 senators
What helps to further ensure incumbent's success in reelection
a lack of strong opponents and the high cost of campaigning
*bicameral legislature*
a legislature divided into two houses. The US Congress and all state legislatures except Nebraska's are bicameral
What are women and African Americans doing in Congress
achieving important positions on committees, increasing the chances of making descriptive representation effective
*casework*
activities of members of Congress that help constituents as individuals, particularly by cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get people what they think they have a right to get
What does the bicameral create
another check and balance system
When does most congressional advertising take place
between elections
What do most members of Congress represent
constituencies in which their party is in the clear majority, which gives them another advantage
What is the form of congressional advertising
contact with their constituents
How is power separated in Congress
representatives and senators
What does the stability allow for
representatives and senators to gain some expertise in dealing with complex question in public policy
What is descriptive representation
representing constituents by mirroring their personal, politically relevant characteristics
What always wins congresspersons friends and never makes enemies
servicing the constituency
What is substantive representation
speaking for the interests of groups which they themselves are not members of
What can Congress participate in more: substantive or descriptive representation
substantive
What has been proposed to increase turnover in the membership of Congress
term limits for representatives and senators
What is our bicameral the result of
the Connecticut Compromise
What part of Congress particularly faces weak opponents
the House
What complicates policymaking
the Madisonian system of the separation of powers
Why are there usually weak opponents
the advantages of incumbency scare off potentially effective opponents
What is partisan polarization
the differences between the parties in Congress
What does credit claiming involve
the enhancing the congressional member's standing with constituents through service to individuals and the district
What is gridlock
the inability to compromise and make important policy decisions
What is at the base of every electoral coalition
the members of the candidate's party in the constituency
What happens the more often members of Congress claim credit
the more constituents support them
What candidate usually wins
the one that spends the most money