2.2.1 Representative function Flashcards
4
Describe the significance of the incumbency in elections
- Name recognition attracts much higher level of donations
- Can afford to spend less in order to get people to vote for them
- Provided with website to explain policy beliefs, successes and provide easy way for constituents to contact them
- ‘franking requests’
1
Give an example that demonstrates how incumbents have to spend less in re-election bids
- Mitch McConnell spent $34 per vote in 2020 Senate election compared to $92 per vote of Dem challenger
2
Describe stats that show the re-election rates in Congress
- House: over 90%
- Senate: over 80%
5
List factors that affect voting behaviour in Congress
- Parties
- Congressional caucuses
- Constituency
- Pressure groups
- Lobbyists
3
Why may Congress members be loyal to their parties?
- Run in party-based primaries where beliefs are ideology-tested
- Likely to be elected in large part due to political allegiance and beleifs of constituents
- Influence of nominal party head
5
Describe the rise of partisan politics in congressional voting behaviour
- Party-line voting increased
- Members less likely to break ranks to maintain re-election chances
- Fewer members falling into into ideological centre
- Suggests growing importance as party as voting factor
- Coincides with polarisation of American public
2
Describe limits to party representation in Congress
- No third-party representation in current Congress
- Democrats and Republcians made up of differing factions, so lack cohesive ideology
3
Describe Congressional caucuses
- Groups consisting of Congress members who share common interests or policy goals
- Fight for population group, industry or ideology
- Do not always vote together, but very powerful when issue in Congress affects their caucus
3
Give examples of congressional caucuses and their influence
- Population group: Congressional Black Caucus - represents AA members of Congress - set up ‘war room’ to defend Jackson after nomination to SC
- Industry: Congressional Steel Caucus - encouraged Trump’s 25% tariff on foreign steel imports to protect US industry
- Ideology: House Freedom Caucus - advocate small state, populism (anti-immigration), social conservatism, Tea Party beliefs
3
Describe how constituencies affect voting behaviour in Congress
- Represent specific cultural, economic and social interests of constituents
- US Primary system means constituents, not central party HQ, determine who represents party in election
- e.g. 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley defeated by AOC in 2018 primary
3
Give an example of a Congress member representing the interests of their constituency
- Brady amendments to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2018 defined copyrighted songs as capital assets, subjecting them to lower tax rate
- Made at request of Nashville Representative Diane Black
- Nashville famed for songwriitng
2
Describe limits to the effect of constituencies on voting behaviour in Congress
- Activities of Congress members outside of Congress, especially prevalent Senators, more important to constituents than national politics
- e.g. Ted Cruz criticised for trip to Cancun in 2021 amid harsh winter storms in Texas
2
Give an example of a pressure group exerting influence over voting behaviour
- NRA uses rating system based on members’ voting histories to determine campaign funding support
- Over 80% of candidates funded by NRA won House/Senate races in 2012
5
Describe how lobbyists affect voting behaviour in Congress
- May promise campaign donations or help with mobilising supporters from their clients
- US Chamber of Commerce spent $82m in 2020
- $3bn annually spent on lobbying since 2008
- Vast amount spent on lobbying suggests it must have some influence
- 1.8k clients lobbied Build Back Better Act
Do an essay on ‘to what extent is x the main reason for voting behaviour in Congress’
3
Describe centrist Congress members
- May oppose party lines
- Tend to represent a state that regularly supports the party opposite to their own
- e.g. Joe Manchin - West Virginia
3
Describe the significance of Joe Manchin
- former moderate Democrat West Virginia Senator (Republican state) - now independent
- Opposed Obama energy policies, repeal of Don’t Say Don’t Tell in 2010
- Wielded large influence in 2021-23 Congress 50-50 split - acted as swing vote alongside Krysten Sinema
3
Describe the importance of Congressional diversity
- Ensures pluralism of diverse population
- Brngs diversity of thought
- Individuals in Congress who share experience of people they represent
4
Describe positives for diversity in Congress in recent years
- Notable increase in representation for women, AAs and Hispanics
- AA most appropriately represented in Congress: 11.6% members are AA, roughly equal to 2020 census data (12.4%)
- 13 openly LGBT Congress members
- 18 foreign-born members - 17 in House, 1 in Senate (Mazie Hirono (Dem) in Hawaii, born in Japan)
3
Describe majority-minority districts
- District where minority national group makes up majority population of district
- More likely they will elect representative of their minority group
- 136 majority-minority districts after 2020 redistricting
5
Describe negatives for diversity in Congress in recent years
- Most AA members are in less-important House
- Remains gulf between female representation in Congress (27%) and makeup of population (51%)
- Average age considerably higher
- 94% of Congress representatives have college degree
- 469 members are Christian - lower than before, but still dominate
4
Describe stats that show the age of Congress members
- House: 54 years
- Senate: 64 years
- Well above average age in population, 38.5 years
- e.g. Diane Fienstein served as CA Senator until death in 2023 at age of 90
3
Outline the difference between descriptive and functional representation
- Descriptive - share descriptive characteristics with group (age, gender, ethnicity, etc)
- Functional - represent economic or social groups within wider community
- Done through lobbyists or pressure groups who represent views of under-represented in legislature
4
List some points you could make for the argument that Congress is representative
- Electability - accountability to constituency, esp for HoR
- Pork-barrel politics to represent districts/state
- Longer senate terms allow for representation of national issues
- Increased congressional diversity
5
List some points you could make for the argument that Congress is unrepresentative
- Descriptive diversity
- Dominated by incumbency
- Local issue focus leads to gridlock
- Two-main parties dominate
- State representation in both chambers
