Voting in Congress Flashcards
What are the 6 determinates of how a congressman will vote?
1) Party
2) Constituents
3) Pressure Groups
4) Personal Views
5) Administraiton
6) Colleagues and Staff
How many votes in 2013 in the House and how many in the Senate?
664 in the House and 229 in the Senate
Compare US parties to UK parties?
Political parties in the US are less centralised and less ideologically cohesive than their US counterparts
What do US parties not have that UK parties do have?
carrots and sticks
What means that house and senate members have to mindful of the constituent’s views rather than their party’s views?
Constituents have control over candidate selection, not the party
What means that house members are even more susceptible to constituent’s views than Senate members?
they are up for re-eleciton every two years
What does the executive branch not depend on for that it does in the UK?
It does not depend on getting policy through the legislature of its existence
Give an example of a party vote
1994 contract with america
Why is the term party vote deceptive?
It is not a unified one, but when the majority of one party votes YES and the majority of another votes NO
What is an example of a party vote?
2011 budget compromise. Passed by 260-167
The GOP voted 179 yes and 59 no
The Democrats voted 81 YES and 108 NO
rather than party votes, what is more normal (although ever-less so)
For members of the house to vote the same way
What are bleu dog democrats?
Fiscally conservative but socially liberal democrats
Where can partisan votes in congress be seen more obviously?
Non-legislative issues such as confirmations
With the 1994 contract with America, what percentage of the House and What percentage of the Senate voted along Party lines?
73% of the house and 69% of the Senate
When in time are party votes more common?
After a mid term that gives new found control of a house
About how many blue dog democrats are there?
50
Why, partly, do Congressmen, unlike MPs, represent constituents?
They are free to represent them
What does the constitution state that means that congressmen are more likely to represent constituents?
The locality rule means that they must be residents of the state in which the district that they represent is in
How do some states take the locality rule that bit further?
They say house members must be members of the district that they represent
What does Elizabeth Dole show?
You can’t expect any ransomer to survive. Those that do best are those who are born and raised in the state
How often do house members face re- elction?
Every two years
When in washington, they represent how?
visitis from constituents
Phone calls and emails (1000 a day)
Keep in touch with their offices back in the state and reading the state media
What are the 5 ways that they represent when at home?
Holding party and two hall meetings surgeries make visits around the state appear in/on local media Address businesses, groups and round table meetings
What is, unless on an exceptional cause, local option likely to be?
divided
Those constituents that do visit and lobby congressmen are likely to be..
the discontented rather the the contented
What kind of model is the congressmen based on, what is it not based on and what does this mean for constituents?
Trustee model not the delegate model and this means that they need to balance factors beyond simply the wishes of their constituents
voting with your president all the time if they are unpopular can be what?
Your DOWNFALL dun dun dunnnn!!
How often did Elizabeth Dole vote with Bush?
92% of the time
What is the key for heads of debarment trying to influence Congressmen?
Persuasion
What are the three keys to effective executive persuasion?
1) They have to talk to people on both sides
2) They have to offer something in return, it’s a two way street
3) can’t just be nice when the votes are near, you need to sustain this
What acronym enumerates how Pressure groups may influence congressmen for votes?
ELOPE
Expand ELOPE
Endorsement Lobbying Organising Grassroots Activities Publicity Electioneering
What may pressure groups raise for sympathetic congressmen?
Campaign funds
