Chapter 10 Review Government
select committees
(usually) temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate a particular issue or address an issue not within the jurisdiction of existing committees
descriptive representation
a type of representation in which representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents; it is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one can correctly represent the other's views.
roll-call votes
a vote in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded as the clerk calls the names of the members alphabetically
apportionment
act of allotting congressional seats to each state after the senses.
"Follow the leader" lawmaking
all about partisanship
Open rules
allow any member to offer an amendment that complies with the standing parliamentary rules of the House
Modified open rules
allow only amendments that have been preprinted in the Congressional Record, or may put a time limit on consideration of amendments, or may put both of these types of restrictions.
A member of Congress may act as a
delegate, who expresses the preferences of his or her constituents, or as a trustee, who is more loosely tied to constituents and empowered to make the decisions he or she thinks best.
Regular order
deliberative Power of committees: listening to the public
U.S. senses
every 10 years we ask Americans to fill out forms to tell us who they are
Today important legislating is much less likely to
follow regular order. Instead, the leadership exercises tight control over the process. This has led to Congress's relying more on omnibus appropriations bills to pass appropriations bills and other major legislation
House of Representatives:
formal operation stronger leadership rules for delegate will be tighter impersonal body: more partisan
Elements of this kind of lawmaking include
frequent use of closed rules surrounding amendments and multiple referral, or the practice of referring a bill to more than one committee for consideration. Another element is the declining use of the conference committee which results in ping-ponging amendments back and forth between the relevant House and Senate committees to reconcile differences between bills or major measures without convening a conference committee at all
Each member of Congress
has a personal staff that deals with constituency requests and, increasingly, with the details of legislative and administrative oversight. Staff agencies support the work of Congress as a whole
Committee System
heart of government run by the majority party highly specialized often be chamber exclusive (committees for House and Senate) most bill will die in committee run by a chair: chosen by Republicans- loyalty Democrats- seniority decide when hearings take place
Running for and staying in office
money: the more money you spend/raid the more likely you will win office incumbency: always out raise and out spend challengers
House members are more attuned to localized narrow interests in society, whereas senators are
more able to represent statewide or national interests
Congress is the
most important representative institution in American government. Each member's primary responsibility is to the district―that is, to his or her constituency (the people in the district from which an official is elected).
Speaker of the House
the chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives. The Speaker is the most important party and House leader, and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and members' positions within the House
polarization
the deep ideological distance between the two parties
oversight
the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies
majority leader
the elected leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate; in the House, the majority leader is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the Speaker of the House
minority leader
the elected leader of the minority party in the House or Senate
impeachment
the formal charge by the House of Representatives that a government official has committed "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors"
The elected leader of the majority party in either the House or Senate is known as
the majority leader.
Congress and the Judiciary
~can increase/decrease the size ~can change the jurisdiction (sphere of authority) ~can change structure ~confirmation of power
Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch
~can review the actions of the Executive branch ~can hold hearings and investigate issues ~oversight over president concerning foreign policy ~congress gets to declare war ~approve presidential appointees ~impeach
omnibus appropriations bill
A bill that deals with a number of unrelated topics
conference committees
joint committees created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation
bill
a proposed law that has been sponsored by a member of Congress and submitted to the clerk of the House or Senate
Congress can override a president's veto by
a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. Roll-call votes can be used to record each legislator's yes or no vote
Although there have been recent increases in the representation of minorities, Congress is
not a sociological microcosm of American society
Conference committees are
often required to reconcile House and Senate versions of bills that began with similar provisions but emerged with significant differences
Congress has increasingly relied on
oversight of how the executive branch carries out legislation
New order
quick process all about partisanship party leaders powerful
What is cloture?
the process by which three-fifths of the Senate can end a filibuster.
Reynolds v. Sims (1964)
State legislative districts should be equal in population
House of Representatives
~ 435 members ~ portion by population ~ 2 year term ~ represent a single-member district ~ people elect members
Today, instead of regular order, bills tend to follow a set of paths that are often called
"unorthodox lawmaking."
New order is made up of
1.) closed rules: limit debate, prohibit amendments 2.) multiple referral: where you are going to bounce the bill within the chamber to get support 3.) ping-ponging: try to avoid the conference the committee. (ping pong the bill between House and Senate) 4.) omnibus bills: in regards to a budget bill
Incumbency advantages
1.) name recognition 2.) access to the media 3.) fundraising 4.) franking: free mass mailing 5.) pork barrel politics: bring home special projects, tax breaks, and jobs 6.) case work: help cut the bureaucratic red tape 7.) experience: know how to run a campaign, political office
2 ways to end filibuster
1.) yield the floor to someone else 2.) cloture vote: 3/5 senate, 51 to pass bill in senate, 60 votes (filibuster proof)
The most dysfunctional of all is
Congress
Most powerful branch of government
Congress and the President
How does Congress exercise influence over other branches of government?
Congress can exercise oversight over the executive branch with hearings investigating effectiveness of programs, inefficiencies, and abuses of power.
What power does Congress have to check the president?
Congress can impeach the president for "high crimes and misdemeanors."
Substantive representation is
is the sort of representation that takes place when constituents have the power to hire and fire their representatives. This is an incentive for good representation in cases when the personal backgrounds, views, and interests of the representative differ from those of his or her constituency
most important power of Congress is to make
laws
joint committees
legislative committees formed of members of both the House and Senate
staff agencies
legislative support agencies responsible for policy analysis
Senate:
less centralized less formally operated weaker leadership more personal more emphasize on Big Ticket item more likely to focus on foreign policy advice and consent privilege: when the senate gets to approve any treaties the president signs with another country. try impeachment trial.
structured rules
limit the amendments that can be offered to those specified in the special rule
House Leadership
majority leader: in charge of the majority party (republican) minority leader: in charge of the minority party (democrats) party whips: communication line between leadership and the average member of the House. enforce discipline has the authority to compel members to vote what the leaders are voting.
Incumbency affords
members of Congress resources such as constituency service and "personal" relationships to help secure reelection. Incumbency can help a candidate by scaring off potential challengers. In general, an overwhelming percentage of incumbents who run are reelected
In the House, minority party can also elect a
minority leader.
The practice of referring a bill to more than one committee for consideration is called
multiple referral
A vote in which half or more of the members of one party take one position while at least half of the members of the other party take the opposing position is called a
party unity vote
Congressional committees, which were once considered central to policy making, have much less power in the contemporary Congress due to
sharp partisan divisions lessening the role of deliberation and bipartisan expertise in policy making.
multiple referral
the practice of referring a bill to more than one committee for consideration
veto
the president's constitutional power to prevent a bill from becoming a law; a presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress
pocket veto
the president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress; a presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.
After being adopted by the House and the Senate, a bill is sent to
the president, who may choose to sign the bill or veto it. The president can also pocket veto a bill by not signing it during the final 10 days of the legislative session.
A member of Congress who feels only loosely constrained by the policy preferences of his or her constituents and empowered to make the decisions he or she thinks best is acting as a
trustee
Even though most constituents pay little attention to politics, members of Congress do
try to anticipate their policy views, especially in the face of reelection
mark up
when you make significant changes to a bill
Pair
when you take two incumbents and pair them together in the primary.
pigeon hole:
where you put the bill at the bottom of the agenda
Each party also elects a
whip to line up party members on important votes and to relay voting information to the leaders
Voters' choices are restricted by
who decided to run for office and which candidate has an edge over the others
Apportionment and redistricting affect
who wins seats in Congress. The manipulation of electoral districts to serve the interests of a particular group is known as gerrymandering. Recent legal challenges and Supreme Court rulings have affirmed the redrawing of district lines for partisan ends
Senate
~ 100 members ~ represent the entire state ~ people elect members (ratified in 1913 (17th amendment)) ~ originally appointed by state legislatures ~ body that guard against excessive democracy ~ Ex: coffee on a saucer ~ HR: cup Senate: saucer
Rucho v. Common Cause (2019)
~ Supreme court argues that partisan gerrymandering is a political question beyond the reach of the federal courts. ~ federal courts can no longer intervene if there is a suspicion of partisan gerrymandering
Baker v. Carr (1962)
~ U.S. Supreme Court argues that any form of malapportionment is unconstitutional ~ cannot have voting power in one district be more so in another district ~ concept of one person one vote (established by Baker) ~ everyone is politically equal
17th amendment
~ ratified in 1913 ~ give the people the right to elect U.S. senators
cloture
a rule or process in a legislative body aimed at ending debate on a given bill; in the U.S. Senate, 60 senators (three-fifths) must agree in order to impose a time limit and end debate
filibuster
a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down; once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of three-fifths of the Senate to end a filibuster
Committee deliberation
is necessary before taking floor action on any bill
log rolling
where you exchange votes
What effect has partisan polarization had on bill passage in Congress?
Although partisan polarization has been on the rise, Congress has been able to pass legislation to address important crises like the coronavirus pandemic.
How does regular order lawmaking differ from unorthodox lawmaking?
Committees and subcommittees are more powerful under regular order than unorthodox lawmaking.
At the beginning of each Congress,
Democrats and Republicans gather to select their leaders
How can one person be trusted to speak for another? (Descriptive v. Substantive)
Descriptive: we trust somebody to represent us because we share the same demographic traits with as us. Substantive: there is an electoral incentive (give the people what they want) to act on the conscientious behalf.
What strategies do party leaders use to strengthen their power under follow-the-leader lawmaking?
House and Senate leaders rely much less on conference committees to reconcile chamber differences on bills, instead ping-ponging amendments between the chambers to work out differences.
Party unity is typically greater in the
House than in the Senate
How does a bill become a law?
If a bill has passed in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and has been approved by the President, or if a presidential veto has been overridden, the bill becomes a law and is enforced by the government.
Which of the following statements regarding congressional decision-making is true?
Interest groups exercise significant influence by providing information to lawmakers and often helping to craft specific language in legislation.
True power is in
Majority/Minority leaders: in charge of senate when VP and President Pro Tempore aren't here.
Which of the following statements regarding congressional representation is true?
Members of Congress tend to prioritize issues that are highly important to their constituents.
Speaker of the House:
Mike Johnson (R- Louisiana) speaker presides over the HR manages House buisness sends bill to the correct/incorrect committee will be the middle man between the HR and the white house.
Power shift
President is more powerful than Congress
Only a member of Congress can introduce a bill to Congress
Sponsor of the bill
Types of Committees
Standing committees - handle bills in different policy areas Select - may be temporary and permanent and usually have focused responsibility Joint Committees - draw their membership from both the Senate and the House Conference Committees - are formed when Senate and the house pass different versions of the same bill
How does leadership in the U.S. House differ from leadership in the U.S. Senate?
The Speaker holds the most power in the U.S. House of Representatives, while the majority party leader holds the most power in the U.S. Senate.
Who is responsible for communicating the leaders' wishes to members in Congress and making sure wavering members vote with the party?
The party whips
open rule
The provision by the House Rules Committee that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to a bill
How do differences between the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate influence representation?
The relatively small size and uniform nature of their constituencies and two-year terms make U.S. representatives more responsive to local interest groups compared to U.S. senators.
In what way can members of Congress's privilege of being able to send mail free of charge to constituents give them an advantage?
They can use this privilege to advertise their accomplishments to their constituents which helps them gain name recognition and can increase their favorability among constituents.
What is the role of the representative? (Trustee v. Delegate)
Trustee: where we trust the representative to do what is right for us. (if the issue is not salient (visible)). tort reform: cap on how much you can sue for. Delegate: when the issue is salient. (Acting as a delegate of the people who elected you)
Creating a legislative agenda, drawing up a list of possible measures, and deciding among them is
a complex process in which a variety of influences from inside and outside the government play important roles
conference
a gathering of House Republicans every two years to elect their House leaders; Democrats call their gathering the caucus
bicameral legislature
a legislative assembly composed of two chambers, or houses
caucus
a normally closed political party business meeting of citizens or lawmakers to select candidates, elect officers, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters
whip
a party member in the House or Senate responsible for coordinating the party's legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes
standing committees
a permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject, such as finance or agriculture
closed rule
a provision by the House Rules Committee limiting or prohibiting the introduction of amendments during debate
delegate (member of Congress role)
a representative who votes according to the preferences of their constituency.
trustee
a representative who votes based on what they think is best for their constituency.
party unity vote
a roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50 percent of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party
The committee system provides Congress with
a second organizational structure that is more a division of labor than the party-based hierarchies of power.
unorthodox lawmaking
a set of legislative procedures that deviates from regular order; reflects a greater level of control from party leaders and less deliberation from members
substantive representation
a type of representation in which a representative is held accountable to a constituency if he or she fails to represent that constituency properly; this is incentive for the representative to provide good representation when his or her personal background, views, and interests differ from those of his or her constituency.
This gathering is typically known to House Republicans as the
conference while House Democrats call theirs the caucus
Members of Congress often have
an opportunity to provide direct benefits, or patronage, for their constituents
pork barrel (or pork)
appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created so that local representatives can win re-election in their home districts
The Senate, through the constitutional power of advice and consent,
approves or rejects presidential treaties and appointments
Starting with reforms in the 1970s, which fragmented the power of the committee system, it has
become more common for party-driven legislation to bypass the committees altogether
Congress is
bicameral. The House and Senate play different roles in the legislative process.
Interest groups can
can influence congressional decision making by mobilizing constituents, serving as watchdogs on congressional action, and supplying candidates with money
The Senate is more deliberative, whereas the House is
characterized by greater centralization and organization.
Oversight is carried out by
committees or subcommittees of the Senate or the House, which conduct hearings and investigations to analyze and evaluate bureaucratic agencies and the effectiveness of their programs
Suppose that a major piece of climate change legislation is being considered by Congress. The House and the Senate have passed mostly similar versions of the bill, but important differences remain. Leadership has assigned representatives and senators to a _________________________ to reconcile the differences.
conference committee
How do members make decisions?
constituents: very influential colleagues: can help if more educated on certain topics. party loyalty: whatever your party says, you go along with them caucuses: all vote accordingly to each caucus interest groups: can help with information (that helps with decisions) PACs: give money (which helps make decisions) Staff: can help with questions (and give more information)
House of Representatives Rules Committee
deals with procedures enormously influential members are chosen by speaker members chose when a bill is debated and all rules that go along with it.
The House Rules committee is important because it
decides the order in which bills come up for a vote on the House floor and determines the specific rules that govern the length of debate and opportunity for amendments.
Recent legislative stand-offs based on
deep ideological polarization have increased prolonged stalemates or failure of bills altogether
Both democrats and republicans agree on
disliking Congress
Gerrymandering:
districts are redesigned for overtly racial and political reasons (historically the courts have ruled gerrymandering unconstitutional)
gerrymandering
drawing legislative districts in such a way as to give an unfair advantage to a political party or one racial or ethnic group.
The leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is
elected Speaker of the House by a strict party vote
Most famous Senate power
filibuster: talking a bill to death delaying tactic by the minority party to prevent a vote being taken
Your state has gained four congressional seats in large part due to significant growth of the Latino population. The legislature's proposed maps, however, fail to include any districts that reflect the large Latino population. This would be an example of
gerrymandering
Bills presented out of committee in the House must
go through the House Rules Committee before they can be debated on the floor. The Rules Committee allots the time for floor debate on a bill and the conditions under which a bill may (or may not) be amended, that is, under a closed rule or and open rule
incumbency
holding the political office for which one is running
Congress has the power of
impeachment over members of the judicial branch and the executive, most famously the president
Party discipline is still an
important factor in congressional voting, despite its decline throughout the twentieth century
When you redesign districts,
incumbents get nervous
Senate Leadership:
presiding officer of the Senate is Vice President they can only vote if there is a tie otherwise they are an executive player President Pro Tempore: honorary position the senior most member of the majority party
closed rules
prohibit any amendments being offered other than those recommended by the committee reporting out the bill.
Stron Thermont
record for longest filibuster 24 hours 18 min (in the U.S. senate) filibustering the 1957 Civil Rights Act
redistricting:
redesigning districts because you have to make them equal in terms of population
The foregoing discussion summarizes
regular order in Congress. Regular order guarantees that a bill's journey to becoming a law will be long and arduous
Descriptive representation is when
representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds as their constituents. It is based on the principle that if two individuals are similar in background, character, interests, and perspectives, then one can correctly represent the other's views.
Wesberry v. Sanders (1963)
require that congressional districts be equal in population
One type of bill that must originate from the House of Representatives
revenue bills Why? because they are closer to the people.
In the Senate,
rules of debate are much less rigid. In fact, senators may delay Senate action on legislation by refusing to yield the floor; this tactic is known as a filibuster. Cloture ends a filibuster.
ping-ponging
sending amendments back and forth between the relevant House and Senate committees to reconcile differences between bills or major measures without convening a conference committee at all.
Power within committees is based on
seniority, although the seniority principle is not absolute
There are different kinds of committees:
standing committees, select committees, joint committees, and conference committees
Members of Congress can
supply benefits to constituents by passing pork-barrel (or pork) legislation and then exchanging pork-barrel votes for votes on other issues
appropriations
the amounts of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend
The framers gave the power to introduce appropriations (i.e., "money bills") to the House of Representatives but not the Senate because they believed that
the chamber closest to the people should exercise greater authority over taxing and spending.
redistricting
the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives; this happens every 10 years to reflect shifts in population.
Which of the following is the best definition of redistricting?
the process of redrawing electoral districts every 10 years
Apportionment
the process, occurring after every decennial census, that allocates congressional seats among the 50 states
seniority
the ranking given to an individual on the basis of length of continuous service on a committee in Congress
constituency
the residents in the area from which an official is elected
markup
the session in which a congressional committee rewrites legislation to incorporate changes discussed during hearings on a bill
Much of the hard work of deliberating, holding hearings, and "markup," or the process of amending and rewriting a bill, takes place in
the subcommittees
Many bills receive little or no committee markup;
they are allowed to "die in committee."
