Congress WHOS IN CONGRESS Demographic Profile of the

  • Slides: 16
Download presentation
Congress

Congress

WHO’S IN CONGRESS? •

WHO’S IN CONGRESS? •

Demographic Profile of the 111 th Congress Age Groups Gender Party Ethnicity Source: http:

Demographic Profile of the 111 th Congress Age Groups Gender Party Ethnicity Source: http: //www. congress. org/congressorg/directory/demographics. tt

Party Share of 113 th- Senate Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Party Democratic End

Party Share of 113 th- Senate Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Party Democratic End of previous congress 51 Begin 53 Latest voting share Independent Vacant 2 2 55% Republican Total Vacant 47 100 0 45%

Party Share of 113 th- House Party Dem Rep Total Vacant End of previous

Party Share of 113 th- House Party Dem Rep Total Vacant End of previous congress 191 241 432 2 Begin 200 234 434 1 Latest voting share 46. 1% 53. 9%

Brainstorm similarities and differences between House and Senate…

Brainstorm similarities and differences between House and Senate…

House-Senate Differences House n 435 members; 2 yr terms n Low turnover n Speaker

House-Senate Differences House n 435 members; 2 yr terms n Low turnover n Speaker bill referral hard to challenge n Scheduling/rules controlled by majority party through Rules Committee (controls time of debate, amends. , etc) Senate n 100 members; 6 yr terms n Moderate turnover n Bill referral decisions easily challenged n Scheduling/rules agreed to by majority & minority leaders

House-Senate Differences House n Debate limited to 1 hour n Members policy specialists n

House-Senate Differences House n Debate limited to 1 hour n Members policy specialists n Emphasizes tax & revenue policy n More formal & impersonal Senate n Unlimited debate unless cloture invoked n Members policy generalists n Emphasizes foreign policy n More informal & personal

Your turn… • Using the organizer provided, work independently to uncover the information needed

Your turn… • Using the organizer provided, work independently to uncover the information needed to complete each section. • Begin with Similarities and Differences… • Next to Leadership positions… • Lastly, Committees…

HOUSE LEADERSHIP- Majority Party Speaker (majority party) Republicans: • Majority Leader • Majority Whip

HOUSE LEADERSHIP- Majority Party Speaker (majority party) Republicans: • Majority Leader • Majority Whip Rep. John Boehner Speaker of the House Majority Leader-Rep. Eric Cantor Majority Whip-Rep. Kevin Mc. Carthy

HOUSE LEADERSHIP- Minority Party Democrats: • Minority Leader • Minority Whip Minority Leader-Nancy Pelosi

HOUSE LEADERSHIP- Minority Party Democrats: • Minority Leader • Minority Whip Minority Leader-Nancy Pelosi Minority Whip- Rep. Steny Hoyer

SENATE President of the Senate (Vice President) President Pro Tempore (majority party) Democrats: •

SENATE President of the Senate (Vice President) President Pro Tempore (majority party) Democrats: • • • Majority Leader Majority Whip Search Results Chairman of Conference President of the Policy Committee Senate Steering Committee Joe Biden (D-DE) Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee • • • Dick Durbin Assis. Maj. Leader/ Maj Whip President Pro Tem Leahy(D-VT) Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

SENATE LEADERSHIP MINORITY PARTY Republicans: • Minority Leader • Minority Whip Minority Leader Mitch

SENATE LEADERSHIP MINORITY PARTY Republicans: • Minority Leader • Minority Whip Minority Leader Mitch Mc. Connell (R-KY) Minority Whip. Jon Kyl

Strength of Party Structure • Measure of party strength: 1. Ability of leaders to

Strength of Party Structure • Measure of party strength: 1. Ability of leaders to control party rules and organization 2. Extent to which party members vote together in the House and Senate, but… • Senate: less party-centered and leader oriented

Party Unity • Lower today than 100 years ago, but…. . • Ideology important

Party Unity • Lower today than 100 years ago, but…. . • Ideology important for party voting (members vote with their party 80% of the time) • Party polarization – strength in which majority of Democrats oppose majority of Republicans (and vice versa) • Party polarization increasing over past decade.

"CONGRESS IN SESSION IS CONGRESS ON PUBLIC EXHIBITION, WHILST CONGRESS IN ITS COMMITTEE-ROOMS IS

"CONGRESS IN SESSION IS CONGRESS ON PUBLIC EXHIBITION, WHILST CONGRESS IN ITS COMMITTEE-ROOMS IS CONGRESS AT - Woodrow Wilson WORK. ”