Congress Debates/Interpretations

Question 1

How do the two major parties dominate Congress?

Answer 1

• almost all members are either Democrats/Republicans
• the major parties control all leadership positions

Question 2

How has the significance of parties in Congress developed?

Answer 2

due to the polarisation of parties - Democrats and Republicans have moved further apart in terms of values and policies

Question 3

What does partisanship mean?

Answer 3

a situation where members of one party regularly group together to oppose members of another party

Question 4

How is partisanship characterised?

Answer 4

by strong party discipline and little cooperation between parties

Question 5

How has partisanship developed?

Answer 5

there has been an increase in partisanship - each party is becoming more internally united, in opposition to the other party

Question 6

Which journalist described the developing partisanship in Congress and what did he say?

Answer 6

Brownstein “an era of hyper-partisanship”

Question 7

What principles of the US constitution does partisanship and polarisation threaten?

Answer 7

bipartisanship - cooperation ‘across the aisle’ is made a lot more difficult than it was

Question 8

What can the increase in partisanship and polarisation lead to?

Answer 8

gridlock

Question 9

What is gridlock?

Answer 9

failure to get act on policy proposals and legislation in Congress

Question 10

What is gridlock said to be exacerbated by?

Answer 10

divided government and partisanship

Question 11

Historically, what was the significance of parties in Congress like?

Answer 11

parties were not that important

Question 12

Describe the nature of parties from a few decades ago.

Answer 12

• Democrats and Republicans were at times almost indistinguishable from one another
• both contained ‘liberals’ and ‘conservatives’
• ‘party unity’ was low (especially in the House)
• both parties contained ‘centrists’ (who frequently participated in bipartisan votes)
• emphasis was more on individual members and sub groups of parties rather than parties themselves

Question 13

Arguments FOR parties playing a role in Congress

Answer 13

• leadership in Congress is run by parties
• committees in Congress are run by parties
• increased partisanship and polarisation means party discipline is more stronger
• important determining factor of voting in Congress
• almost impossible to be elected to Congress without being a major party candidate

Question 14

Arguments AGAINST parties playing a role in Congress

Answer 14

• views of constituents often outweigh party considerations (particularly for House)
• both parties are made up of ideological factions that compete with party cohesion
• executive branch has few ‘sticks or carrots’
• congressional leadership is fairly impotent in the face of oppositon