Voting In Congress Flashcards
What is the priority for congressmen?
Getting relected
How many staff do congressmen tend to have?
17 average House of Representatives
40 aides is the average for a senator
Both senators and members of the House of Representatives rely heavily on these staff members
Why are parties weak in congress?
Ineffective whips
No real promotion
No threat of deselection as candidates selected through primaries
How have parties become stronger?
74% of votes are party unity votes
Parties can use the promotion of committee chairmanship as an incentive. Bernie Sanders was awarded the chairmanship of vet affairs by caucusing with the democrats despite him being an independent.
How do parties make member toe the party line at elections?
Since 1994 party lines have been drawn at elections
(6 for ‘06) and Democrats pledge to America in 2010
Easier to vote with the party as the members know where the party lies
What things other than the party influence members voting in congress?
Folks back home
Ideologies
Pressure groups
Give an example of the way pressure groups control voting in congress?
NRA
Manchin Toomey was voted against in the senate despite 88% of the public supporting it (gun background testing)
95% now support manchin Toomey
How has ideologies influenced voting in congress, give an example?
30 democrats voted against obamacare
These are called the blue dogs, they didn’t vote that way for the Folks back Home or the party, purely ideological.
Give an example of the way folks back home have influenced congress voting behaviour?
Hurricane Sandy relief 2013
Voted on the basis of which areas affected
Republicans in the North and East voted 80:20 to not help
Republicans in the south and West voted 80:20 to help
What happened with the Alabama state senate seat in 2017?
The GOP didn’t want Roy Moore to be the candidate as he had been accused of sexually harassing under age girls. Due to the primary system he became the candidate and the GOP lost the senate seat as a result.
Shows the weak power of parties. Can’t even deselect a bad candidate
When did Newt Gringrich abolish the seniority rule?
1995
Give an example of how those that ignore the party ideologies can be punished in primaries by the party faithful?
This leads to Representatives coming from the ideological extremes
Eric Cantor lost to Dave Brat in his 2014 house primary because he had worked with Obama to end the 2013 shutdown.
In 2015 John Boehner was ousted as speaker by social conservatives in his own party for supporting planned parenthood funding.
Why are members of the house more and more likely to be reliant on the party faithful for their seats?
This leads to Representatives being from the ideological extremes
In gerrymandered districts it’s all about the primaries, they have to rely on the party faithful for primaries success
What reason to do with finance means members are not so reliant on parties as they are in the U.K.?
Don’t rely on parties for election funding
Rely on the people for their campaign finance
What does the lack of party influence mean for congress?
In theory it is an ideal place to deliver representative government
