The U.S. Congress

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The U.S. Congress

• Functions of a legislative body
• Representation
• Policy making
• Oversight
• Basic Structure of Congress
• Bicameral
• House/Senate Differences

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Congress Has Evolved Over Time

• Pre-Modern Congress
• High Turnover
• Light Workload
• Many criteria for Committee Assignments
• Little party structure
• Committee-centered

• Modern Congress
• Low Turnover
• Heavy Workload
• Seniority-based Committee Assignments
• Well-defined party structure
• Some power has shifted to sub-committees

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Descriptive/Sociological Representation
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Other Ways to Represent

• Agency Representation
• Delegate mode
• Trustee mode
• Direct Patronage
• Casework
• Pork Barrel projects
• Private Bills

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Committees

• The work of Congress is organized around a
  complex committee structure

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Types of Committees

• The most common type of committee is the Standing
  Committee
• Revenue Committees Budget (H), Finance (S),
  Appropriations (Both), Ways and Means (H)
• Foreign Policy/Defense Armed Services (S),
  Foreign Relations (S), International Relations
  (H)
• Investigation Government Reform (H)
• Legislative Administration Rules
• Domestic Agriculture, Banking, Education, Small
  Business

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Committees Continued

• Select Committees
• Intelligence (both), Ethics (S), Homeland
  Security (H)
• Joint Committees
• Economic, Taxation, Printing
• Conference Committee
• Some committees are more prestigious than others
• Ways Means(H), Finance (S), Rules(H),
  Appropriations, Budget

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Committees Continued

• Some committees are more prestigious than others
• Ways Means(H), Finance (S), Rules(H),
  Appropriations, Budget
• Committee Assignments
• Member interests
• Committee on committees
• Seniority

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Sub-Committees

• Much of the work of committees is done in
  subcommittees.
• Example The House Judiciary Committee has five
  sub-committees
• Commercial and administrative law
• Constitutional law
• Immigration, Border Security, and Claims
• Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
• Courts, the Internet, and intellectual property

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Consequences of Committee System

• Policy fragmentation
• Policy Expertise

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The Organization of Congress Party Structure

• Most power in Congress goes to the Majority
  Party, especially in the House
• How the Senate is different
• No Speaker
• VP is President of the Senate
• Power of individual members weakens the control
  of the Majority party

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How a Bill Becomes a Law

• The process is long and complicated, providing
  many opportunities to kill the proposed bill
• In a nutshell Passes one chamber first, then
  must be approved by the other, then the
  differences must be reconciled, then the
  president must sign the bill
• Details

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Influences on Congressional Voting

• Constituents
• Parties
• Interest Groups
• Colleagues
• The President
• Staff

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Oversight

• Appropriations
• Investigations
• Advice and Consent
• Impeachment

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Congressional ElectionsA Story of Incumbency
Advantage
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Sources of the Incumbent Advantage

• Information
• Recall and Recognition if incumbents is higher
  than that of challengers.
• To know an incumbent is to like the incumbent.

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But Why Do Incumbents have Such an Information
Advantage?

• Pre-existing base of support (previously elected)
• Perks of office
• Free media
• Tremendous fundraising advantage

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Fundraising Advantage of Incumbency
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But Why Do Incumbents have Such an Information
Advantage?

• Pre-existing base of support (previously elected)
• Perks of office
• Free media
• Tremendous fundraising advantage
• Inexperienced challengers