Congressional Organization 2.2

The House of Representatives Size and apportionment Constitution does not set the size Constitution does say that the house will be apportioned (divided) between the states based on population Constitution guarantees that each state will have at lease 1 representative regardless of size Currently 7 states have one seat in the House

House of Representatives Reapportionment Constitution directions Congress to reapportion (divide) House seats after a census is taken at 10 year intervals Redistricting is the reallocation of the number of representatives each state has Reapportionment Act of 1929 se the permanent size of the house at 435 members Each seat represents approx. 700,000 people As a states representatives increase so does its influence

House of Representatives Districts Not defined or discussed in the Constitution Districting is the drawing of state legislatures of congressional districts for those states with more than one representative 1842 Congress stipulated that all seats would be filled from single member districts 1842 assigned state legislatures the responsibility of drawing the boundary lines

House of Representatives Gerrymandering The legislative process by which the majority party in each state legislature redraws congressional districts to ensure the maximum number of seats for its candidates (drawing congressional districts to favor one political party or group)

House of Representatives Consequences of Gerrymandering Protects incumbents and discourages challengers Strengthens the majority party while weakening the opposition party Increases or decreases minority representation

SCOTUS limitations on Congressional Redistricting Because rural areas dominated many state legislatures, congressional districts often favored less-populous area Baker v. Carr One person one vote, districts had to be as equal in population as possible Shaw v. Reno One person one vote, triggered wide spread redistricting, balancing representation between urban and rural areas.

Baker v. Carr Shaw v. Reno Source of one person one vote Charles W. Baker and other Tennessee citizens alleged that a 1901 law designed to apportion the seats for the state's General Assembly was virtually ignored. Baker's suit detailed how Tennessee's reapportionment efforts ignored significant economic growth and population shifts within the state. Did the Supreme Court have jurisdiction over questions of legislative apportionment? the Court held that there were no “political questions” to be answered in this case and that legislative apportionment was a justiciable issue. Shaw v. Reno Redistricting must be conscious of race and abide by the voting rights act of 1964 Did the North Carolina residents' claim, that the State created a racially gerrymandered district, raise a valid constitutional issue under the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause? Yes. The Court held that although North Carolina's reapportionment plan was racially neutral on its face, the resulting district shape was bizarre enough to suggest that it constituted an effort to separate voters into different districts based on race. Remanded to lower court to reexamine in light of the ruling to determine if the state had a compelling reason. (good enough)

SCOTUS Limitations cont. Districts must be equally populated Must be compact, lines must be contiguous or connected Connect dilute minority voting strength Lines cannot be drawn based solely on race Race can be one of a variety of factors that are considered SCOTUS decisions have not eliminated gerrymandering for partisan political purposes Current SCOTUS case examining the decision

Pork and Logrolling Pork barrel legislation: the use of government funds for projects designed to please voters or legislators and win votes. Logrolling: the practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other's proposed legislation

Realignment elections and divided government Realignment election: when control of one branch of government changes party Divided government: president is from one party and the congress another, all or part

Consequences of a Divided Government Partisan votes against initiatives Congressional refusal to confirm appointments of a lame duck president others

How Congress is Organized

Organization 2 houses meet for terms of 2 years beginning on January 3 of odd numbered years each term is divided into 2 one-year sessions The president may call special sessions in cases of national emergency Each house chooses its own leadership and determines it own rules

The Role of Political Parties Play a key role in the organization Majority party is the party in each house with the most votes The minority party is the party with the 2nd most votes

Advantages of the majority party Holds committee chairs Choose the Speaker of the House Assigns bills to committees Holds the majority on each committee Controls the House Rules Committee Sets the legislative agenda

Organization of the House Much larger than senate More formal structure Stricter rules Debate is much more restricted in the House than the senate House Rules Committee: Sets the rules for debate

Organization of the House Speaker of the House Presides over the House of Representatives Most powerful member of the House Oversees House business (assigning bills to committee, controlling floor debate, appointing party members to committees) Elected by members of his/her party within the House, from the majority party Stands second in line for presidential succession after the VP

House of Representatives Other House Leaders Majority leader serves as the major assistant to the Speaker, helps to plan the party’s legislative program, and directs floor debates The minority leader is the major spokesman for the minority party and organizes opposition to the majority party Both parties have elected whips that maintain close contact with their members and try to ensure party unity on important votes Whips help floor leaders by directing party members in voting, informing members of impending voting, keeping track of vote counts, and pressuring members to vote with the party

Organization of the Senate Is smaller and less formally organized that the House Vice President Constitution makes the VP the president of the Senate May vote only to break a tie

Organization of the Senate Filibuster talking a bill to death Cloture: vote of 60 senators to end a filibuster

Other Senate Leaders President Pro Tempore Majority Leader Presides over the Senate in the absence of the VP. A member of the majority party with the longest service is the Senate, ceremonial lacks real power Majority Leader Elected leader of the party that controls the senate, the true leader of the Senate Minority Leader Elected leader of the party with the 2nd number of members in the Senate Whips serve the same role as whips in the house

The Committee System Both the House and the Senate are divided into committees Committees play a dominant role in congressional policymaking (they do most of the work) Particularly important in the House % of each committee’s membership reflects the overall percentage of each party in the House/Senate Members try to serve on committees where they can influence public policy relating to their district/state or influence important national public policy

Standing Committees Permanent subject-matter congressional committees that continue from one Congress to the next. Handle legislation, and oversee the bureaucracy Focus on legislation in a particular area Foreign relations, agriculture, energy and natural resources etc. Bills are referred to standing committees where they can be amended, passed or killed Foster the development of expertise by their members Divided into subcommittees where the details of legislation are worked out

Other types of Committees Select committees Special panels formed for a special purpose an for a limited time. Usually formed to conduct and investigation into a matter of current concern Joint committees Include members from both houses. Focus public attention on a major issue. Similar in function to select committees.

Other types of Committees Conference Committee Temporary Formed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill Compromise committee Members are appointed by the party leadershi8p and are drawn from the house and Senate committees that originally considered the bill

House Rule Committee Controlled by the Speaker of the House Sets the guidelines for floor debate Assigns a rule that places the bill on the legislative calendar. Limits time for debate Determines the types of amendments that will be allowed. Close rule: sets strict time limits and forbids amendments from the floor Open rule: less strict time limits on debate, allows amendments from the floor

House Committee on Ways and Means Handles the tax bills Has jurisdiction on all taxation tariffs and other revenue-raising measures Members cannot serve on other House committees

Committee Chairs and the Seniority System Chair exercise great power and prestige Set agendas, call meetings, schedule hearings, hire staff, manage floor debate, recommend majority members to sit on conference committees and select all subcommittee chairs Often receive favors from lobbyists and contribution from PACs

Committee Chairs and the Seniority System Seniority is the unwritten rule in both houses reserving committee chairs to members of the committee with the longest record or membership Historically committee chairs were chosen by a seniority system Chairs in both House and Senate are now elected positions (chosen by party caucus) Seniority is still the norm for selecting the chair in both chambers

Other Congressional Organizations Caucuses (aka coalitions) are informal groups formed by members of Congress who share a common purpose or set of goals Congressional Black Caucus, Women’s Caucus, Democratic or Republican Caucus Congressional staff and support Personal staff works directly for members of congress in DC and their state office Committee staff works for committees and sub committees in Congress, researching problems and analyzing information Support agencies provide services to members of Congress Library of Congress Government Printing Office