Chapter 10 Section 4: The Members of Congress

What is the current salary of a member of Congress?

$174,000 per years (Plus COLA)

What do members do as part of the congressional committee>

They decide which measures will go on floor consideration. The evaluate bills and are involved in the oversight committee.

What does a legislator do?

They make the law. They have individual roles of making laws and responding to constituents' demands so they balance national concerns against the specific interest of their State/district.

What are some fringe benefits for members of Congress?

They receive a special tax deduction, generous travel allowances, and pay relatively small amounts for life and health insurance.

How does a member of Congress act as a delegate?

They see themselves as agents of the people who elected them. They believe that they should discover what "the folks back home" think about an issue and vote that way.

How does a member of Congress act as a politico?

Combines roles of a trustee, delegate, and partisan and acts as a "practical" politician. They try to balance these often conflicting factors: their view of what is best for their constituents and for nation as a whole, the political facts of life, and the peculiar pressures of the moment.

To what does the phrase, "cloak of legislative immunity" refer?

The clause that protects members from suits for libel or slander arising out of their official conduct.

How does a member of Congress act as a trustee?

They believe each question they face must be decided on its merits. They call issues as they see them, regardless of the views held by a majority of their constituents or by any of the other groups that seek to influence their decisions.

How does a member of Congress act as a partisan?

They believe that they owe their first allegiance to their political party. They feel duty-bound to cast their votes in line with the party platform and the views of their party's leaders.