Congress

Question 1

Parliamentary candidates are chosen by who?

Answer 1

Voters choose between national parties, not between multiple candidates within a single party

Question 2

Congressional candidates run in a primary election, with little party control over their nomination

Answer 2

1. Vote for the candidate, not the party
2. Members’ principal work is representation and action; power is decentralized and members are independent
3. Party discipline is limited, not enduring. Members have a great deal of power, high pay and significant staff resources

Question 3

Intent of the Framers:

Answer 3

1. Oppose concentration of power in a single institution
2. Balance large and small states: bicameralism
3. Expected Congress to be the dominant institution

Question 4

General characteristics of subsequent evolution:

Answer 4

1. Congress was generally dominant over presidency until 20th century
2. Struggles within Congress: slavery, new states, internal improvements, tariffs, business regulation
3. Trend toward decentralization of Congress- congressional members and constituency interests are to be dominant

Question 5

Phases 5, 6: Revolt against the Speaker, Empowerment of Individual Members and Return of Leadership

Answer 5

1. Party Caucuses, rules committee, chairs of standing committees =powerful
2. Committee chairs are elected, not based on seniority
3. Each member can introduce legislation
4. Speaker can appoint a majority of the Rules Committee members

Question 6

Evolution of the Senate

Answer 6

1. Small chamber (100 members total)…didn’t need a Rules Committee
2. 17th Amendment- direct election of Senators
3. Filibuster- restricted in 1917 with vote of cloture (ended Treaty of Versailles debate)

Question 7

Incumbency

Answer 7

1. Membership in Congress
2. Redistributing leads to more turnover (incumbents can’t carry safe districts anymore)
3. House districts are safe, not marginal (Senators are less secure as incumbents)
4. Voters may support incumbents for the following reasons: media coverage is higher, name recognition (franking, travel, news) and members secure policies and programs for voters (credit-claiming)

Question 8

Party

Answer 8

1. Democrats were beneficiaries of incumbency (1933-1992 controlled both houses in 25 Congresses, at least one house in 28 Congresses)
2. Republicans run best in high-turnout districts, Democrats in low-turnout ones
3. Coalition- building: greater partnership (esp. in House) and greater parter unity voting

Question 9

Majority-minority districts

Answer 9

1. Drawn to make it easier for minority citizens to elect a representative
2. Shaw v. Reno: Race can be a factor in congressional redistributing only if there is a “compelling state interest”

Question 10

Policy Making

Answer 10

1. Members gear his/her office to help individual constituents, while committees secure pork for the district
2. Delegates v. Trustees

Question 11

Do members represent their voters?

Answer 11

1. Representational View- members vote to please their constituents, in order to secure re-election
2. Organizational View: where constituency interests are not vitally at stake, members primarily respond to cues from colleagues
3. Attitudinal View: the member’s ideology determines their vote

Question 12

Party Organization of the Senate

Answer 12

1. President pro tempore presides (member with most seniority in majority party)
2. Majority Leader- schedules Senate business
3. Party Whips- keep leaders informed, round up votes

Question 13

Party organization in the house

Answer 13

1. Speaker- assigns bills to committees, influences which bills are brought up for a vote, appoints members of special and select committees
2. Committee assignments and party schedule are set by each party

Question 14

Legislative Committees

Answer 14

Most important organizational feature of Congress

1. Standing committees: permanent bodies with specified legislative responsibilities
2. Select committees: groups appointed for a limited purpose and limited duration
3. Joint committees: those on which both representatives and senators serve

Question 15

How a bill becomes a law: Resolutions

Answer 15

1. Simple: passed by one house and affects that house, not signed by President, doesn’t have force of law
2. Concurrent: passed by both houses and affects both, not signed by President, does not have force of law
3. Joint: essentially a law, passed by both houses, signed by president

Question 16

How a bill becomes a law: Reports

Answer 16

1. After hearings, committee reports a bill out to House or senate
2. House can use “discharge position”, Senate can use “discharge motion”
3. Bill must be placed on calendar

Question 17

How a bill becomes a Law: House Rules Committee

Answer 17

Sets rules for consideration of bills

1. Close rule- set time limit on debate and restricts amendments
2. Open Rule: permits amendments from the floor
3. Rules can be bypassed by House- move to suspend rules, discharge petition

Question 18

How a Bill becomes a Law:

Answer 18

House: usually passes the sponsoring committee’s version of the bill

Senate:

1. Riders common (bypass committee hearing process)
2. Debate only limited by cloture vote (2/3 senators must vote)
3. Filibusters an cloture common (roll calls are replacing long speeches)

Question 19

Reforming Congress

Answer 19

1. Regulate franking privileges
2. Trim pork: main cause of deficit is entitlement programs, pork facilitates compromise among members (who are also supposed to be district advocates
3. Reassertion of Congressional Power in 1970’s (Watergate, Vietnam) setting stage for sharper legislative-executive conflicts