1. Congress

2. I. Introduction: When composing the legislative branch, the Framers wanted to achieve the following objectives; 1. 1. Avoid the concentration of power in a single institution. 2. 2. A balance between large and small states. 3. 3. Have Congress be the dominant branch of government.

3. The first objective was achieved by dividing power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The decentralization and separation of government powers under the U.S. Constitution has made political corruption easier to achieve. The reason is that more opportunities for corruption exist in a decentralized political system; because more officials can affect policy. However, during the later 20 th century, there has been less corruption in Congress; 1. 1. People are better educated today. 2. 2. Party bosses have lost their power. 3. 3. The media have a strong incentive to expose corruption.

4. Objective two was achieved when the Framers created a bicameral (two house) legislature. Objective three was achieved when the Framers listed the powers of Congress.

5. A) Powers of Congress; To lay and collect taxes, duties, imports, and excises. To borrow money. To regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states.

6. To establish rules for naturalization and bankruptcy. To coin money. To fix the standard of weights and measures.

7. To establish a post office and post roads. To issue patents and copyrights.To create courts (other than the Supreme Court). To define and punish piracies.

8. To declare war. To raise and support an army and navy.To provide for a militia.To exercise exclusive legislative powers over the District of Columbia and other federal facilities.

9. II. Congressional Leadership: The only congressional office that is mandated by the Constitution is the Speaker of the House. He or she is chosen b the majority party in the House. The party that wins the most representatives is designated the “majority,” and the other party is called the “minority.” Powers of the Speaker; 1. 1. Deciding on whom to recognize to speak on the floor. 2. 2. Deciding to which committee bills go. 3. 3. Appointing members of standing, special and select committees. 4. 4. Rules on the relevance of motions. 5. Next in line after the vice president to succeed a president who resigns, dies in office, or is impeached.

10. The House Majority Leader; 1. Main steppingstone to the job of Speaker of the House. 2. Responsible for scheduling bills in the House. 3. Responsible for rounding up votes on behalf of the party’s position on legislation. 4. Principal ally of the Speaker.

11. The Party Whips keeps a close head count on key votes, and attempts to keep party members in line.

12. The Senate; President of the Senate – is the vice president of the U.S.. He can vote only in the case of a tie and seldom attends the Senate. President pro tempore – largely a ceremonial position with no real power. He is selected from among the majority party. Majority Leader – the most influential person in the Senate, who has the right to be the first senator heard on the floor. He determines the Senate’s agenda and usually has much say about committee assignments. Minority Leader – consults with the Majority leader in setting the agenda.

13. The numerical superiority of the House of Representatives over the Senate carries with it the implication that the House leadership has more control than the Senate leadership. Other traits of the Senate; 1. 1. Less party centered. 2. 2. More hospitable to freshmen. 3. 3. More heavily staffed. 4. 4. More control by subcommittees.

14. Those the House tends to have more leadership control this does not insure rank and file compliances. The recent party split among Republicans has been the result of sharp ideological differences within the party. The “Tea Party” split is only possible due to the restructuring of the House in the 1970s which made it more democratic. Restructuring of the House in the 1970s was due to the dissatisfaction with Southern resistance to civil rights bills. This decentralization in the House has come to mean that the power of individual members has increased.

15. Traditionally, Congressional committee chairpersons have been chosen through the seniority system. The most senior member of that committee chaired it until he/she stepped down. The seniority system gave a decisive edge to House members from safe districts. Such district were common in the South, due to black disenfranchisement. The 1970s reforms created a system of subcommittees to handle most of the legislative process.

16. Republican congressional reforms in the 1990s included all of the following; 1. 1. Committee chairs were allowed to choose the chairs of subcommittees on their committees. 2. 2. Committee and subcommittee chairs were limited to three consecutive two-year terms as chair. 3. 3. Some subcommittees were eliminated.

17. III. The Committee System: Most of the power in Congress is found in the committees. Because they are the only ones that can report our bills, the most important committees are the standing committees.

18. Members of Congress seek committees that will help them achieve each of the following goals; 1. 1. Influence in Congress, by gaining opportunities to make policy in areas they think are important. 2. 2. Get reelection, by gaining opportunities to make policy in areas important to their constituents.

19. House and Senate committees all have a majority of members from the majority party in that chamber. Senators sit on more committees than House member; but they can only chair one committee per congressional session. The most important aspect of the process of selecting Senate members for key leadership and committee position is achieving ideological and regional balance. For this reason, freshman senators are most likely to be appointed to a committee dominated by senators from the opposite party and different regions.

20. Standing Committee Power; 1. 1. All bills in Congress are assigned to a committee based on its content. 2. 2. The committee investigates the need for each bill. 3. 3. Unless a committee gives a bill a favorable report it almost never can be considered by the full House or Senate. 4. 4. The most important output of the committee is the marked up bill. 5. 5. Members of the committee usually serve as floor managers of the bill. 6. 6. Members of the committee act as cue-givers to whom other members turn for advice.

21. Other Committees; Select committees – formed for specific purposes and are usually temporary. – –Committee to investigate the Watergate scandal.

22. Joint committees – consist of members from both the House and Senate. They are set up to conduct business between the houses and to help focus public attention on major issues. – –Committee to investigate the Iran-Contra affair in 1980s.

23. When the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill a conference committee is appointed to resolve differences.

24. IV. Caucuses: The best way to understand how Congress carries out its business is to think of it as a collection of different kinds of organizations. Members of Congress group themselves with other like minded members in order to shape the Congressional agenda. These groups are called caucus.

25. Intraparty caucuses are formed by groups whose members share a similar ideology. The Sun belt or steel caucus are examples of intraparty caucuses.

26. Personal caucuses form around common interest in an issue. The national women’s political caucus is a type of personal caucus.

27. Constituency caucuses are perceived by their members as representing certain groups nationwide. The Congressional Black Caucus is one the best known national constituency caucuses.

28. The End