Chapter 9 Congress. Why Congress? Founders feared tyrannical rulers and had experienced weakness of...
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Transcript of Chapter 9 Congress. Why Congress? Founders feared tyrannical rulers and had experienced weakness of...
Chapter 9
CongressCongress
Why Congress? Founders feared tyrannical rulers and
had experienced weakness of congress under Articles of Confederation
Bicameralism (result of “Great Compromise”) attempts to balance power among large and small states, elites and masses; House based on population; Senate on equality of states
Powers of Congress Enumerated/expressed powers
(Article I, section 8), including: Impose taxes Borrow and spend money Regulate interstate and international
commerce Coin money Establish court system Declare war Raise army and navy
Powers of Congress (cont.)
Implied powers From the necessary and proper/elastic
clause (Article 1, section 8, clause 18) First used in the Supreme Court’s ruling in
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Allows Congress to enact laws that assist in
accomplishing goals directly related to its enumerated powers
Set stage for expanded role of national government relative to states; a check on expansion of executive power
Functions of Congress
Lawmaking (and logrolling) = primary and fundamental
Constituent service (casework) Representation
Trustee (conscience, broad interest) Instructed-delegate (agent of constituents) Combination of roles
Oversight (follow up on laws) Public education (agenda setting) Conflict resolution (great pluralist mediator)
© 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™
Members of Congress Not typical Americans Older Wealthier Disproportionately White, male, and
Protestant Trained in professional
occupations
Congressional Electionsoperated by individual state governments
House of Representatives Elected every two years by
popular ballot Number of seats is
determined by population Each state has at least one
representative Each district has about a
half million residents 435 members
U.S. Senate Elected every six years
by popular ballot (since ratification of the 17th Amendment (1913))
One third of the Senate is elected every two years
Each state has two Senators
100 members
Power of IncumbencyOverwhelming majority of
incumbent representatives Smaller proportion of
senatorsWho run for reelection are
successfulSee Table 9-3, 215
Power of Incumbency, 215
© 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™
Complexities “One person, one vote” principle Reapportionment = allocation of seats
in House of Representatives to each state after each census
Redistricting = redrawing boundaries of districts within each state Done by state legislatures Gerrymandering (Figure 9.1, 217) Minority-majority districts
4th district, Figure 9-2, 218
© 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™
CompensationMembers of Congress are
well paid ($154,000 in 2003)Enjoy a host of benefitsPersonal and committee
staff membersPrivileges and immunities
Committee Structure Bulk of legislating done in committees
and subcommittees Standing committees (review introduced
legislation) Select committees (short-term, specific purpose) Joint committees (members from both) Conference committees (special joint committees
aimed at achieving agreement on legislative wording)
Seniority system (longer-term members given preference in committee appointments)
Congressional Leadership
House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the House (most
powerful position)House Majority LeaderHouse Minority LeaderHouse Majority WhipHouse Minority Whip
Congressional Leadership
U.S. Senate President of Senate (Vice President,
ceremonial) President pro tem (appointed by majority party
to preside when VP absent) Majority Floor Leader (most powerful leader) Minority Floor Leader Senate Majority Whip Senate Minority Whip
How Members VoteCue-taking from senior
members (yes and no)Best predictor = party
affiliation
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Passes through both chambers of Congress
Through standing and joint committees
Goes to President who signs or vetoes
If vetoed, can be overriden by a 2/3 majority in both houses
© 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™
How a Bill becomes a Law, Figure 9.3, 227
Budget ProcessPresident prepares executive
budgetReviewed by Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
Sent to Congress, which is expected to pass a final budget by September
© 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™
Budget Cycle, Figure 9-4, 229
Discussion Questions What are important differences between the
House and Senate? How is the average member of Congress
different from the average American? How much power do congressional leaders
have? Why do incumbents usually win reelection? Are minority-majority districts fair? Why is it relatively easy to kill a bill in
Congress?
Hot Links to Selected Internet Resources Book’s Companion Site:
http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com/schmidtbrief2004
Wadsworth’s Political Science Site: http://politicalscience.wadsworth.com
U.S. Senate: http://www.senate.gov U.S. House of Representatives:
http://www.house.gov Roll Call Newspaper Online:
http://www.rollcall.com