Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests Chapter 11

Congress as a Career: Election to Congress Using incumbency to stay in Congress The service strategy: taking care of constituents Campaign fundraising: raking in the money Redistricting: favorable boundaries for incumbents

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Congress as a Career: Election to Congress Pitfalls of incumbency Disruptive issues Personal misconduct Turnout variation: the midterm election problem Primary election challengers General election challengers: a problem for senators A new threat: super PACs

Parties and Party Leadership Party caucus—closed session Party unity in Congress Parties are the strongest force within Congress Heightened unity seen through roll-call votes in recent decades

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Parties and Party Leadership Party leadership in Congress House leaders Speaker of the House House majority leader House majority whip

Parties and Party Leadership Speaker of the House Elected by the House membership By default, a member of the majority party Said to be the second-most-powerful official in Washington Develops party issues Persuades party members Can speak first during debate Recognizes speakers during debate Influences House Rules Committee

Parties and Party Leadership Senate leaders Majority party leader is the most powerful senator The vice president presides over the Senate; however, has power only to cast tie-breaking vote Senate president pro tempore presides over the Senate in the vice president’s absence Largely an honorary position held by the majority party’s senior member

Committees and Committee Leadership Committee types: standing, select, conference Committee jurisdiction Bills introduced must be referred to the proper committee Committee membership typically mirrors the party ratio of the body Committee chairs Typically senior members of the majority party Committees and parties: which is in control? The power of subcommittees: “little legislatures”

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How a Bill Becomes a Law Committee hearings and decisions Most work on legislation is done in committee From committee to the floor Rules for debate are defined Leadership and floor action Debate, changes, and vote by full membership Conference committees and the president Reconcile differences between similar legislation President signs, vetoes, or uses pocket veto

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Congress’s Policymaking Role Lawmaking function of Congress Makes laws authorizing federal programs Broad issues: fragmentation as a limit on Congress’s role The president typically has the more prominent role. Congress in the lead: fragmentation as a policymaking strength Ability to deal with narrow problems, but not broad ones

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Congress’s Policymaking Role The representation function of Congress Representation of states and districts: focus on the local Representation of the nation through parties: focus on the big issues The obstacle of partisan divisions Oversight function of Congress Sees that executive branch carries out the laws faithfully Done primarily by committees Demanding task that can’t be done adequately

Congress: An Institution Divided Pro (advantages): Culturally representative of nation Diverse interests represented Cons (disadvantages): National interest subjugated to special interests Disproportionate influence of the minority