Chapter Congress Copyright 2013 Cengage Congress n Congress

Congress n Congress • Independent representatives of their districts or states • Principal work

The Congress n n Bicameral (two chamber) legislature House of Representatives • 2 yr

Exclusive Powers n House; n Senate; Pick Pres if no maj for Electoral College,

New York Public Library A cartoon from Puck in 1890 expressed popular resentment over

Who is in Congress? n Gender and Race n Incumbency • Marginal districts (Purple)

Source: Congressional Quarterly, various years Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) Speaker of the House ROD LAMKEY JR. /The Washington Times/Landov

Source: Adapted from chart based on Congressional Research Service and Military Officers Association data

Do Members Represent Their Voters? n n Representational View–members vote to please their constituents

A Polarized Congress n n n A more ideological perspective has been brought to

The Organization of Congress: Parties and Caucuses n n n Party Organization of the

The Organization of Congress: Committees n n n Standing Committees Select Committees Joint Committees

AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. , holds a photo of an

The Organization of Congress: Staff and Specialized Offices n n Tasks of Staff Members

How a Bill Becomes a Law Introducing a Bill n Study by Committee n

How a Bill Becomes a Law Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Reducing Power and Perks n Term Limits? • Incumbent success. . n n New

Congress Pay (2016) n n n All Members $174, 000 Speaker $223, 000 Other

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Chapter Congress

The Congress n n Bicameral (two chamber) legislature House of Representatives • 2 yr terms n Senate • 6 yr terms Library of Congress Most work done in congress is by committees and sub-committees Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Exclusive Powers n House; n Senate; Pick Pres if no maj for Electoral College, Initiates Impeachmnts, Starts all tax bills Jury in Impeachment, Ratifies Treaties, Confirms Pres appointments, confirms Judicial nominations (“Advise and Consent”) Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Who is in Congress? n Gender and Race n Incumbency • Marginal districts (Purple) • Safe districts (Gerrymandering) • Baker v Carr 1962 • Shaw v Reno 1993 n Wealth-over 180 millionaires, median net worth $450 K (rollcall. com) Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Source: Adapted from chart based on Congressional Research Service and Military Officers Association data in John Harwood, “For New Congress, Data Shows Why Polarization Abounds, ” New York Times, March 6, 2011. Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Do Members Represent Their Voters? n n Representational View–members vote to please their constituents Organizational View–members vote to please fellow members of Congress Attitudinal View–members vote on the basis of their own beliefs Delegate vs Trustee Model Copyright © 2013 Cengage Keith Ellison (D. , MN), the first Muslim elected to Congress.

A Polarized Congress n n n A more ideological perspective has been brought to Congress’ most liberal members are Democrats. Congress’ most conservative members are Republicans. Copyright © 2013 Cengage

AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. , holds a photo of an oil covered pelican as he questions BP CEO Tony Hayward on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 17, 2010, during the House Overight and Investigations subcommittee hearing on the role of BP in the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. Copyright © 2013 Cengage

The Organization of Congress: Staff and Specialized Offices n n Tasks of Staff Members Staff Agencies • Congressional Research Service (CRS) • General Accounting Office (GAO) • Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) • Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Congress Pay (2016) n n n All Members $174, 000 Speaker $223, 000 Other Leadership $194, 000 n n COLA (cost of living adjustment) Jan 1 every year (CPI) Congress can vote to decline increase • Declined every yr since 2009 Copyright © 2013 Cengage