Chapter 13

Congress

1. In what respects is Congress the first branch of

American national government?
2. Why do most Americans and many experts now
view Congress as the broken branch?
3. What are the main differences between a congress
and a parliament?
4. How has the legislative productivity of the U.S.
Congress varied over time?
5. Are the American people as deeply divided in
partisan and ideological terms as their
representatives in Congress now appear to be?

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Learning Objectives

6. How closely do members of Congress mirror the

American people in terms of gender, race, and
other demographic characteristics?
7. Does Congress normally do what most citizens
want it to do?
8. Should Congress run under strong leadership?
9. Should Congress act more quickly?

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Learning Objectives

WHO GOVERNS?
1. Are members of Congress representative of the
American people?
2. Does Congress normally do what most citizens
want it to do?

TO WHAT ENDS?
1. Should Congress run under strong leadership?
2. Should Congress act more quickly?

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Introduction

 Framers view of Congress

First branch of government

Holds most national government powers
Essential to federalism
Maintains separation of powers
Linchpin of checks and balances

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Introduction

 Contemporary Americans view of

Congress
Broken branch of government
Unable to address problems effectively
Too responsive to special interests
Nonstop campaign fundraising and/or
corruption
Unlikely to fix itself

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Introduction

The Powers of Congress

To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises

To borrow money
To regulate commerce with foreign nations/among states
To establish rules for naturalization and bankruptcy
To coin money, set its value, and punish counterfeiting
To fix the standard of weights and measures
To establish a post office and post roads
To issue patents and copyrights to inventors/authors

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Constitution: Article 1, section 8

The Powers of Congress

To create courts inferior to the Supreme Court
To define/punish piracies, felonies on high seas, and
crimes against law of nations
To declare war
To raise and support an army and navy; make rules for
their governance
To provide for a militia
To exercise exclusive legislative powers over seat of
government, federal facilities
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper
for carrying into execution the fore-going powers, and all
other powers vested by this Constitution in the
government of the United States.

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Constitution: Article 1, section 8

Congress
Independent
representatives of
districts or states
Primary system;
voters choose
among individual
candidates
Principal work is
representation and
action

Parliament
Loyal to national
party leadership
Voters choose
among national
parties
Principal work is
debate

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Congress versus Parliament

Members of Congress in 2013:

Base salary $174,000, plus generous benefits

Large office and staff
Additional allowances for travel, communication etc.
Franking privileges

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U.S. Congress

10

 Bicameral (two chamber) legislature

House of Representatives
Senate

Centralization vs. decentralization

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The Evolution of Congress

11

 House History: Six Phases

Phase One: The Powerful House
Phase Two: The Divided House
Phase Three: The Speaker Rules
Phase Four: The House Revolts
Phase Five: The Members Rule
Phase Six: The Leadership Returns

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The Evolution of Congress

12

A cartoon from Puck in

1890 expressed popular
resentment over the
Millionaires Club, as the
Senate had become known.

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The Evolution of Congress

13

 Gender and Race

Becoming less male and less white
2013: fewer lawyers and former members
of armed forces
Senate changed more slowly
First woman SpeakerNancy Pelosi (2007)

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Who Is in Congress?

14

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Blacks, Hispanics, and Women in Congress,

19712013

15

 Incumbency
Most incumbents win
Marginal districts
Safe districts

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Who Is in Congress?

16

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Re-election Rates for House

and Senate Incumbents, 1964
2012

17

 Party
Redistricting has little overall effect
Impact of major electoral convulsions
Conservative coalition emerges in 1960s
and 1970s (then declines)
Growing ideological partisanship

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Who Is in Congress?

18

 Representational Viewmembers vote

to please their constituents
Organizational Viewmembers vote to
please fellow members of Congress
Attitudinal Viewmembers vote on the
basis of their own beliefs

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Representation and
Polarization

19

 Party Organizations
The Senate
President pro tempore (honorific)
Majority leader (power)
Minority leader
Whips
Policy Committee
Standing committees

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The Organization of Congress:

Parties and Interests

20

 Party Organizations
The House of Representatives
Speaker of the House
Majority leader (floor leader)
Minority leader
Whips
Committees

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The Organization of Congress:

Parties and Interests

21
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John
Boehner won re-election in his party in 2013
to lead the chamber for a second term.

 Party Voting

Party Votes
in the House,
1877-2010

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The Organization of Congress:

Parties and Interests

22

 Caucuses
Advocates a political ideology or advances
a regional, ethnic or economic interest
Examples:
Democratic Study Group
Tuesday Lunch Bunch
Congressional Black Caucus

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The Organization of Congress:

Parties and Interests

23

 Standing Committees
Select Committees
Joint Committees
Conference Committees

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The Organization of Congress:

Committees

24

 Tasks of Staff Members: constituent

problem-solving, legislative functions
Staff Agencies
Congressional Research Service
Government Accountability Office
Congressional Budget Office

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The Organization of Congress:

Staffs and Specialized Offices

25

 Introducing a Bill
Study by Committees
Floor Debate The House
Floor Debate The Senate
Methods of Voting

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How a Bill Becomes Law

26

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How a Bill Becomes Law

27

 Legislative Productivity
How to measure?
How to evaluate changes in legislation?
Divided government
Earmarks
How has post-9/11 Congress legislated on
homeland security issues?

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How a Bill Becomes Law

28

 Reforming Congress
Term limits?
Pork-barrel legislation
Franking privilege
Congressional Accountability Act (1995)
Price of citizen-oriented Congress is a
pork-oriented Congress

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How a Bill Becomes Law

29

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Congress and President Propose

Alternative Deficit Reduction
Plans

30

Click picture to play video

Taking a closer look:

1. Should Congress or the president have
greater control over the federal budget?
2. Does the budget conflict support the
broken branch view of Congress?
3. Which view (representational,
organizational, attitudinal) is most
reflective of the current Congress?

Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Congress and President Propose

Alternative Deficit Reduction
Plans

31