Chapter 13 Congress
Reading Questions
1. What is the paradox regarding Congress and public opinion?
2. How does the book describe partisan polarization in Congress? What is the explanation for why Congress today seems more polarized than it did up until the 1970s?
3. Summarize the differences between Congress and a parliament and how these fundamental differences influence the character of the U.S. Congress.
4. Why is Congress a decentralized institution and why is Congress inevitably unpopular with voters.
5. Read through the six phases of the House of Representatives so that you are clear about the rules changes and the balance of power between the Speaker and committee chairmen. Briefly summarize phases five-six. (It is not important for you to learn the name of individual Speakers except for Newt Gingrich – unless you want to be a history major or quiz bowl whiz.)
6. How has the history and structure of the Senate meant that it would be different from the House of Representatives?
7. What were the main issues in the development of the Senate and how were these issues settled? Make sure that you understand what these terms refer to: filibuster, cloture, Rule 22
8. Summarize the points that Edmund Burke made in his speech to the Bristol Electors about the responsibilities of a representative to his constituents.
9. Read the article by David Mahyew and make a list of what congressmen do to achieve reelection
10. Briefly summarize the trends in the sex and race of members of Congress.
11. Why have more congressional districts become safer for incumbent reelection?
12. What are the possible explanations for why the Democrats dominated Congress from 1933-1994?
13. Why has Congress become more ideologically partisan since the 1980s?
14. Summarize the three theories of how members of Congress behave.
15. Define malapportionment and gerrymandering. From the online article on Gerrymandering 101, summarize what Minority Gerrymandering and packing are.
16. What is the sophomore surge? Why does it happen? What effects does it have?
17. Summarize the issues involved and the resolution inBaker v. CarrandWesberry v. Sanders.
18. As you look at a typical Congressman’s schedule in the David Price article, what do you notice that he spends most of his time doing? What does he not have time to do according to this schedule?
19. What are the principal jobs and responsibilities in the party leadership in the Senate?
20. What are the formal and informal powers of the Speaker of the House?
21. Why are party votesin the House common?
22. What are caucuses and why are they important?
23. Define the four different types of committees.
24. How are committee chairs chosen, and how has this changed since the 1970s?
25. How has the committee structure changed since the 1970s to weaken party chairs? What has been the effect of these changes and how does having a large staff create a demand for more staff?
26. What is the role of congressional staff?
27. What do the GAO, and CBO do?
28. You must know the 21 highlighted terms on pages 350 – 356. Will be on the quiz for this day.
29. What are the roles of committees and subcommittees and how does this affect the legislation that gets passed?
30. What is the role of the House Rules Committee?
31. How can a filibuster be broken? What do the changes for breaking a filibuster mean for trying to pass a bill in the Senate?
32. Think about it and give your opinion as to the impact the differences between the House and Senate have on policy-making. You must know the chart on p. 353 summarizing the differences between the House and Senate. Figure out a way to learn it.
33. Make a list of the different powers that the Constitution gives to either the House or Senate. This is a review question and you should be able to do it off the top of your head. Then go check yourself by lookingat the Constitution. (It’s in an appendix in the back of the book). Read through Article I, Sections 1, 3, and 7 and Article II, Section 2. Add in anything you may have forgotten.
34. Using the articles byGregory Wawro and Eric Schicklerand the article by Barbara Sinclair, make a list of reasons why Congress is sometimes not able to accomplish much.
35. Summarize why Justice Scalia thinks that Americans should learn to love gridlock.
36. In general, what type of rules are there to make sure our Congress members are ethical?
37. After reading the articles by Paul Starobin, John Ellwood, and Eric Patashik, John McCain, and Brian Riedl, make a list of the arguments for and against pork. Include arguments from the textbook.
Terms to Know
1. / franking privilege / 28. / Shaw v. Reno(1993) / 56. / Simple resolution2. / unicameral / 29. / descriptive representation / 57. / Concurrent resolution
3. / bicameral / 30. / substantive representation / 58. / Joint resolution
4. / Speaker of the House / 31. / sophomore surge / 59. / multiple referral
5. / Newt Gingrich / 32. / privileged speech / 60. / sequential referral
6. / Nancy Pelosi / 33. / Edmund Burke / 61. / discharge petition
7. / Harry Reid / 34. / Representational theory / 62. / closed rule
8. / Party caucus / 35. / Organizational theory / 63 / open rule
9. / Rules Committee / 36. / Attitudinal theory / 64. / restrictive rule
10. / filibuster / 37. / President Pro Tempore / 65. / quorum
11. / 17thAmendment / 38. / Majority and Minority leaders / 66. / quorum call
12. / Rule 22 / 39. / Party Whip / 67. / cloture rule
13. / cloture / 40. / Steering Committee (D) / 68. / double-tracking
14. / term limits / 41. / Committee on Committees (R) / 69. / roll-call vote
15. / US Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton(1995) / 42. / Policy Committee / 70. / rider
16. / Marginal districts / 43. / Party polarization / 71. / Christmas tree bill
17. / Safe districts / 44. / Caucus / 72. / Committee of the Whole
18. / House Banking scandal / 45. / Congressional Black Caucus / 73. / Pork-Barrel
19. / House Post office scandal / 46. / Blue Dog Democrats / 74. / Earmarks
20. / Reapportionment / 47. / Standing Committees / 75. / Congressional courtesy
21. / redistricting / 48. / Select Committees / 76. / logrolling
22. / malapportionment / 49. / Joint Committees / 77. / Nongermane amendment
23. / gerrymandering / 50. / Conference Committees / 78. / Unanimous consent
24. / majority-minority districts / 51. / seniority system / 79. / Holds
25. / Wesberry v. Sanders1964 / 52. / Congressional Research Service / 80. / Constituent service or casework
26. / Baker v. Carr(1962) / 53. / General Accounting Office (GAO)
27. / “one man, one vote” / 54. / Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Questions and Themes
•Demographics in general of those in Congress
•Elements of the Constitution that relate to Congress and its powers – Article I: delegated powers, qualifications for serving in House and Senate
•Reasons for a bicameral legislature
•Differences b/t House and Senate; vote requirements
•Powers of the Senate and House
•Non-legislative tasks of Congress: legislative oversight, public education, representing constituents within government, casework
oDelegate vs. trustee model
•Power of Senate to advise and consent to nominations and treaties
•Filibuster, cloture, Rule 22, impact of filibuster on climate of Senate
•Types of Committees in Cong: standing, joint, select, conference
oStanding – only ones to write legislation and conduct oversight
•Evolution of House rules since 1970s
•Job of Speaker. Majority/Minority Leader/ Pro-tem, what do Whips do? How can party leadership affect legislative process
•House Ways and Means/Senate Finance > taxes
•Appropriations > how money is apportioned to federal agencies
•How a bill becomes a law and where a bill can be killed
•Resolutions: simple and concurrent
•Important Committees: House Rules – what it can do, House Ways and Means, Senate Finance, Appropriations Committee
•Mark up; Discharge Petition; Franking privilege
•Advantages of incumbents: credit claiming, constituent service or casework
•Role of lobbyists and IGs
•Advantages and disadvantages of committee system, role of subcommittees
•Pork barrel legislation, earmarks
•What affects how congressmen vote? What are the pressures on them to vote?
oPresidential jawboning
oLogrolling
oPACS, IGs
oConstituents
oIdeology, religious beliefs
oParty Affiliation – most important factor
•Baker v. Carr, Wesberry v. Sanders,andShaw v. Reno
•Effect of 1982 Voting Rights Act to encourage states to create majority minority districts
oImpact of having majority-minority districts
oWhat has the Supreme Court said about race as a factor? Principles in districting?
•Reapportionment and redistricting – what is the difference?
oCensus, apportionment, malapportionment, redistricting, gerrymandering, racial gerrymandering
•Who becomes chair of committees, how committee assignments are determined; majority party has majority on committees; Seniority system
•Congressional caucuses: party and other caucuses
•Term limits debate: arguments on each side
•Changes made after 1994 election by Gingrich Republicans in House
•Role of the parties in Congress
•Oversight function of executive branch, bureaucracy
•Specialization in Congress
•How Congress reasserted its powers after Nixon – what made 1974 an earthquake in the power system
•How impeachment works