Chapter 2 - The functions of Congress Flashcards
What three functions does Congress fulfil?
- representation
- legislation
- oversight
What is the trustee model of representation?
Representatives make decisions based on their own judgement - seen by some as being too elitist.
What is the delegate model of representation?
Representatives act solely on the wishes of those they represent, not using their own judgement in matters.
What advantages do incumbents have when seeking re-election?
- Name recognition.
- Provided with an official government website.
- Able to mail constituents at Congress’ expense.
- Pork barrel politics.
- Easier to raise funds for campaigns.
- Gerrymandering after every census.
How much was spent on pork barrel politics in 2019?
$15.3 billion
What model of representation do congressmen and senators tend to follow?
Trustee model
What are the 6 factors that affect voting behaviour?
- Political parties.
- Congressional caucuses.
- The administration.
- The constituency.
- Pressure groups.
- Lobbyists.
What is a party unity vote?
A vote in the House or Senate in which the majority of one party votes against the majority of the other party.
When do party unity votes tend to occur?
When the issue is a contentious, ideological matter, such as civil liberties, taxation, or gun control.
What is a congressional caucus?
An association of members of Congress that pursue common legislative objectives.
What are the four congressional caucuses?
- House Republican caucus.
- House Democratic caucus.
- Senate Republican caucus.
- Senate Democratic caucus.
What are the three main functions of congressional caucuses?
- Education
- Agenda setting
- Encouraging support
How do caucuses fulfil their educational function?
They might provide information to members on proposed legislation, offer policy briefings, and publish briefing papers.
How do congressional caucuses fulfil their agenda-setting function?
They might co-sponsor legislation, circulate letters to drum up support, meet with party leadership to push their cause, and lobby relevant committee members.
How do members of Congress keep in touch and updated about the views of their constituents while they are performing their jobs in Congress?
- They keep in touch with their offices back in their constituency via phone and email.
- They receive phone calls, letters, emails, and tweets from constituents themselves.
- They read the local newspapers.
- They regularly visit back home.
How do members of Congress engage with their constituents?
- Hold town hall meetings.
- Hold surgeries.
- Making visits around the state.
- Appearing on local radio.
- Local media.
- Visiting locals schools, hospitals, businesses.
How many Republican members of the House voted against Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) because it ran counter to their constituents’ interests?
12
What is the street in Washington DC where lots of lobbyists have their offices?
The K Street corridor.
What are the six stages of the legislation process?
1 - Introduction 2 - Committee stage 3 - Timetabling 4 - Floor debate and vote 5 - Conference committee 6 - President
What happens in the introduction of a bill?
It is purely a formality. In the House a copy of the bill is simply placed on the clerk’s desk and in the Senate the title of the bill is just read out.
What percentage of bills introduced to Congress become law?
2-4%
What is the most important stage of the passage of a bill?
Committee stage
Why is the standing committee stage of a bill so important?
Standing committee members are regarded as the policy specialists and they have the power to amend everything - anything can be added or removed from the bill at this stage.
Professor M.J.C. Vile quote (1999) on standing committees?
“they are the sieve through which all legislation is poured”
What is the unanimous consent agreement in the Senate?
An agreement between the Senate majority and minority leaders on the order in which bills will be debated in the Senate.
What does the House Rules Committee do?
It is responsible for prioritising bills coming from committee stage onto the House floor for debating and voting.
Where does the House Rules Committee get its name from?
It decides the rules by which bills can be debated.
What are the types of rules the House Rules Committee can implement?
- Open rules - unlimited amendments are allowed.
- Modified rules - limited number of amendments; only certain sections can be amended; only certain members can propose amendments.
- Closed rules - no amendments allowed.
Who makes up the majority of the House Rules Committee members?
Membership is skewed in favour of the majority party; in 2019 there were thirteen members: 9 Democrats and 4 Republicans.
