The Basics American Democracy, p Congress is the leading branch of national govt. It is the first institution defined in the Constitution. Article I: o All legislative powers herein granted shall be invested in a Congress which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives No executive agency or lower court can exist except as authorized by Congress. Congressional elections tend to have strong local orientation and favor incumbents. Leadership is provided by party leaders (more on this later). Work of Congress is done mainly through its committees and subcommittees, each of which has its separate leadership and policy jurisdiction. Congresss policymaking role is based on three major functions: o Lawmaking o Representation o Oversight Most members of Congress are professional politicians. How much do Congressmen make? o 2011: Approximately $174,000 + Benefits (usgovinfo.about.com) o Leaders make more. Roughly 95 percent of House incumbents and about 90 percent of Senate incumbents have been reelected. This is largely due to party identification within a particular state/region. Other incumbent advantages Have a Consistent Constituency (Loyalty): constituents are those eligible to vote in a given region. Support Particular Pork-Barrel Projects: legislation that funds a particular locale (e.g., highways, hospitals). Also known as earmarks. Use a Service Strategy: constituents are comfortable with a representatives ability to respond to their needs. House member allowance for staff (no more than 18) $800,000. Senators allowance ranges from $2-4 million, depending on the population of the state they represent. o Senators staff could be up to 50 people. Each member of Congress is also permitted several free mailings to constituent households, a privilege known as the frank. After a population census (every ten years), the 435 seats in House are reallocated; a process known as reapportionment. The process of redrawing House election districts is known as redistricting, which rests with the state governments. Often, the party in power will draw new district boundaries to favor candidates of their party. This is known as gerrymandering, after Governor Elbridge Gerry. ~Cartoonist Elkanah Tinsdales criticism of Gerrys redistricting; labeled the Gerry-mander (after salamander) Typically, the party holding the presidency loses seats in the midterm congressional elections, especially in the House. In only four of the last twenty-five midterm elections has the presidents party gained seats. Why do you think this is so? o Drop-off in voter turnout after Pres. Election o Presidents performance To Run for House o 25-years of age o Citizen for at least seven years To Run for Senate o 30-years of age o Citizen for at least nine years 90 percent of Congress is made up of professionals such as lawyers, business execs., educators, bankers, and journalists. Blue-collar workers are seldom elected. Members of Congress are disproportionately white and male. o Minority groups and women account for less than 15 percent of Congress (Proportion is twice that of a decade ago). ~Senator Elizabeth Warren ~Senator Ed Markey ~Congressman Seth Moulton, 6 th District, Massachusetts. Party caucus: a group that consists of a partys members in the House or Senate that serves to elect partys leadership, set policy goals, and determine party strategy. House o Presided over by a Speaker, elected by its members. o Speaker is active in developing the partys positions on issues and persuading party members to support these positions. o Speaker has right to speak first during House debate, and decides who will speak and when. o Speaker chooses chairperson and majority-party members of House Rules Committee, which controls scheduling of bills for debate. o Speaker can delay sending a bill to floor until there is enough support for its passage. o Assisted by House majority leader and House majority whip, also chosen by majority partys members. Majority Leader organizes debate on bills and works to line up legislative support. Whip informs members when critical votes are scheduled and lets others know where leadership stands on the bill. Minority party has its own leader and whip that heads partys caucus and plays leading role in developing partys legislative positions. Functions like the House leaders but does not have a presiding officer in the chamber. Vice President serves as the tie-breaking member of the Senate. ~Speaker of the House Paul Ryan ~Vice President Joe Biden Most of the work of Congress is done through standing committees, or permanent committees, with responsibility for a particular area of public policy. Examples include defense, government spending, labor, judiciary, and taxation House committees average members Senate committees are about half the size. Each standing committee has its own staff; help draft legislation, organize hearings, and participate in altering bills. Select: Created to perform specific tasks. Example: Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees work of intelligence agencies such as CIA. Conference: joint committees formed temporarily to work out differences in House and Senate versions of a particular bill. House members generally serve on two committees, Senators, four. About ten thousand bills are introduced during each two- year session of Congress. All Senate bills are subject to unlimited debate unless three- fifths of the Senate votes for cloture; a limit on debate to thirty hours. Cloture helps defeat filibustering, where the minority of senators prevent a bill from coming to a vote by holding the floor until other senators give in and withdraw the bill from consideration. Senate can also propose amendments to a bill unrelated to its content; known as a rider. Must have majority (50 percent +1) to pass the House or Senate. To become law, it must pass, in identical form, both the House and Senate. President, then must sign the bill to make it law, or veto it, with his reasons for rejecting it. Congress can override this with two-thirds vote of each chamber. If President does not sign in ten days, and Congress is still in session, it automatically becomes law. If President fails to sign within ten days and Congress has concluded its term, bill does not become law and process must start again. This is known as a pocket veto. Power to: o Tax o Spend o Regulate commerce o Declare war Representative Function: o Should the main concern of a rep. be the interests of the nation as a whole or those of his or her own constituency? Logrolling: some Congressman, in order to get what they want, trade ones vote with another member. You help me and Ill help you! Congress enacts laws and appropriates money; admin. of these laws is entrusted to executive branch. Congresss supervisory role is known as oversight. Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970: o Each standing committee shall review and study, on a continuing basis, the application, administration, and execution of those laws, or parts of laws, the subject of which is within the jurisdiction of that committee. Oversight Example