US Congress

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US Congress

• Chapter 13 AP Government

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US Congress

• Plays a big part in Who Governs?
• Different than a Parliament

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DifferencesCongress
Parliament

• Aligned to party and Prime Minister
• Elected as part of the party
• Debate laws/ policy

• Independent votes, of party and of President
• Elected independently of the party
• Make laws/policy

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6 eras of the House

• 1. House has more power than Senate 1800s
• 2. Jacksonians create cleavage 1830s (slavery)
• 3. Speaker takes control by 1900
• 4. Committee/Chairperson power 1920s
• 5. Elected Chairs, not appointed 1960s
• 6. Reduced committee power 1990s

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The average member is

• White 50s
• Married Male
• College degree Protestant
• Upper-middle class
• Long term residents Incumbents

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Voting on a Bill

• Organizational-As the party wants
• Attitudinal-Their own mind
• Representational-As voters in the state/district
  want

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House Power

• Members are more polarized than citizens
• Align with caucuses/cleavages
• Speakers recently gained power
• Party has some influence -especially in
  leadership appointments

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House Leadership

• Speaker of the House is leader of majority party
  and presides over House
• Majority leader and minority leader leaders on
  the floor
• Party whips keep leaders informed and round up
  votes
• Committee assignments and legislative schedule
  are set by each party

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Senate Power

• Less party control than in the House
• More decentralized/independent
• Committees have the most power

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Senate Leadership

• President pro tempore presides this is the
  member with most seniority in majority party (a
  largely honorific office)
• Leaders are the majority leader and the minority
  leader, elected by their respective party members

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Senate Leadership

• Party whips keep leaders informed, round up
  votes, count noses
• Each party has a policy committee schedules
  Senate business, prioritizes bills
• Committee assignments are handled by a group of
  Senators, each for their own party

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Get to Work

• 1 job is passing legislation
• Major help from personal staff
• Page 346
• Help from CRS, GAO, CBO

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Staffs

• Constituency service is a major task of members
  staff
• Legislative functions of staff include devising
  proposals, negotiating agreements, organizing
  hearings, and meeting with lobbyists and
  administrators
• Members staff consider themselves advocates of
  their employers

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Incumbency Privileges

• Franking
• Pork-barrel credit
• Tax credit for DC home/apartment
• Non-libel/Non-arrest status
• Travel expenses
• Lobbyist perks

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Post 911

• Faster response to terrorism
• Faster response by intelligence community
• USA Patriot Act
• Continuity Commission recommendations