Chapter Eight Congress. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8-2 Enduring...

Chapter Eight

Congress

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8-2

Enduring Questions

• Are the members of Congress representative of the American people?

• Does Congress prefer strong leadership, and does it allow its member a lot of freedom?

• How important are political parties in Congress?

• Why does it take so long for Congress to act?


Introduction

• Congress a rare example of independent legislature among large democratic nations

• Congress versus Parliament


The Evolution of Congress

• Intent of the Framers• General characteristics of subsequent

evolution• House has protected the power of

individual members at expense of centralized leadership

• Senate leaders have never had strong formal powers


Who is in Congress?

• House of Representatives, characteristics• Senate• Sex and race of members• Lengthening tenure of members

(increasing incumbency rates) an important development

• Party


Table 8.1: Blacks, Hispanics, and Women in Congress, 1971–2004


Getting Elected to Congress

• Need to win at least a plurality of votes under a party label

• Winning the primary


The Organization of Congress: Parties and Interests

• Party organization • The Senate• The House of Representatives• Party voting • Caucuses: Rivals to parties in policy

formulation and leadership


Figure 8.1: Party votes in the House, 1877–2000

Source: Updated from Harold W. Stanley and Richard G. Niemi, Vital Statistics on American Politics, 6th ed. Copyright © 1998 by CQ Press. Reprinted by permission.


Table 8.2: Ideology and Party in the Congress, 2000–2002


The Organization of Congress: Committees

• Legislative committees: Most important organizational feature of Congress

• Types of committees• Standing (permanent) committees:

Characteristics in the House• Committee styles


The Organizations of Congress: Staffs and Specialized Offices

• Introduction

• Tasks of staff members

• Staff agencies work for all members


Figure 8.2: How a Bill Becomes Law


How a Bill Becomes Law (Note House and Senate Differences)

• Requires coalition or wave of enthusiasm • Introducing a bill• Study by committees• Floor debate• Methods of voting


How Members of Congress Vote

• Three explanations for a member’s vote

• Representational view has some merit under certain circumstances

• Main cues for organizational voting

• Attitudinal view largely based on ideology


A Polarized Congress in an Unpolarized Nation

• Partisan divisions among members are striking

• There is some evidence voters are becoming more partisan

• What it all means


Ethics and Congress

• Separation of powers meant to control ambition and corruption

• Unethical conduct not always easy to define

• House and Senate ethics codes


Power of Congress

• Has always been significant, but Congress has always been concerned about its authority

• Reassertion of congressional power in 1970s

• Congress has never been as weak as some have alleged

• Presidential-congressional conflicts


Reconsidering the Enduring Questions

• Are the members of Congress representative of the American people?

• Does Congress prefer strong leadership, and does it allow its member a lot of freedom?

• How important are political parties in Congress?

• Why does it take so long for Congress to act?

Chapter Eight Congress. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8-2 Enduring...

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