Congress: Representation and Lawmaking Chapter 6

The Nature of Congressional Representation Representative: A person chosen to make policy decisions on behalf of a defined group of people Constituency: The people who choose a representative to act on their behalf

The Nature of Congressional Representation The unrepresented (send nonvoting delegates to the House of Representatives) Washington, DC See “Our Voices: Nonvoting Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Representation for Washington, DC” Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Virgin Islands The populations of these unrepresented areas are largely made up of racial and ethnic minorities

The Nature of Congressional Representation Districts Reapportionment: Allotting representation based on population after each census 1910: U.S. House of Representatives capped at 435 members Redistricting Gerrymandering Majority–minority districts Increasing numbers of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1992

The Nature of Congressional Representation Members of Congress Descriptive representation Symbolic representation Substantive representation

Congressional Organization and Leadership Political party: Mass organization that seeks to elect candidates to public office and influence policy- making Political parties are the primary point of organization in Congress Majority party Minority party

Congressional Organization and Leadership Leadership in the House Speaker of the House House majority leader Whip House minority leader Leadership in the Senate Senate majority leader Senate majority whip Senate minority leader

Congressional Organization and Leadership Committees When a bill is introduced, the Speaker of the House or the Senate majority leader assigns it to the appropriate committee Committee activities Conduct hearings Collect information Amend bills in markup sessions Have advancement through seniority

Congressional Organization and Leadership Informal organizations Caucuses Congressional Black Caucus See “Evaluating Equality: The Congressional Black Caucus and Black Republican Members of Congress” Congressional Hispanic Caucus Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

The Lawmaking Process Activity on the House floor Rules Committee Sets date and time for voting Allots time for debate Determines how many amendments can be considered Majority party can speed up, stall, or kill the progress of a bill Congressional Record

The Lawmaking Process Action on the Senate floor Committees Filibuster Cloture vote

The Lawmaking Process Reconciling differences between House and Senate bills Conference committee Non-lawmaking functions of Congress Confirming presidential appointments Impeachment Executive and bureaucratic agency oversight Unified vs. divided government

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Influences on Congressional Decision-making Constituents Theories concerning relationship between members of Congress and their constituents Reelection Casework Franking privilege Party leaders

Influences on Congressional Decision-making Colleagues Logrolling Pork barrel spending Interest groups Staff