1. Congress as a “frustrating place”: Why?
1. Legislative process itself (“Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see
them being made.” by Otto von Bismarck)
2. Gridlock/stalemate
August recess without an energy bill in 2008, Debt-ceiling debate in 2011
Truman’s 1948 strategy of calling the 80th Congress “Do-nothing Congress”
3. Corruption and scandals
Wright (‘89, book royalties), Packwood (‘95, sexual harassment),
Rostenkowski (‘95, illegal cash), Kim (‘98, illegal campaign money),
Cunningham (‘05, bribes), DeLay (‘06, money laundering), Foley (‘06, sexual
s to congressional pages), Ney (’06, Abramoff scandal), Jefferson (’06
bribes), Rangel (’2010)

2. IV. Congress as a changing place
A remarkably permeable institution, bringing new members, new majority, new issues, and new ideas
New members
1958/1964/1974 elections = northern liberal Democrats & “Watergate Babies”
1994/2010 elections = conservative Republicans & “Tea Party” members
New majority coalitions
= Democratic House and Democratic Senate (40 years)
= GOP House & GOP Senate
= Dem House & Dem Senate (Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker)
2011- present = GOP House & Dem Senate
New issues = the war on terror, global warming, stem-cell research, environmental protection, consumer rights, trade with China, etc

3. IV. Congress as a changing place
“Apportionment” (Regional Shifts, only in the House)
= a fixed number of 435 House members since 1912
= decennial redistribution of House seats based on the census results ( redistricting)
= more seats in the South and West at the expense of the
Northeast and Midwest
 Consequences?
the shift of power to the more conservative regions?

4. General trends: Size of the House

5. Apportionment of the House based on the 2010 Census

6. Apportionment Population and Number of Representatives, 2010

7. Women in the U.S. Congress, 1937-2009

8. Minorities in the U.S. House, 1937-2009

9. “Partisan Realignment” and Changing Party Base 103rd House ( , Clinton’s first year) vs. 111th House ( , Obama’s first year)
What can you tell about “partisan realignment”?
Why did this happen?  very important question

10. 103rd Senate (1993-94) vs. 111th Senate (2009-2010)

11. Modern Trends: the Broken Branch?
V. Revitalized and Polarized Political Parties
Before Polarization
“There is no dime’s worth of difference between the two
parties.” (Gov. George Wallace in the 1968 election)
“Conservative Coalition” from the 1930s through the1980s
= conservative southern Democrats + minority Republicans
= particularly united over foreign/defense policy issues
= “Blue Dog” Coalition for fiscal responsibility
Now, “red vs. blue” states, polarization in Congress: Real or
Myth?
Driving force? ideology, issues, culture, the media, etc

12. Modern Trends: the Broken Branch?
V. Revitalized and Polarized Political Parties
Before Polarization
“There is no dime’s worth of difference between the two
parties.” (Gov. George Wallace in the 1968 election)
“Conservative Coalition” from the 1930s through the1980s
= conservative southern Democrats + minority Republicans
= particularly united over foreign/defense policy issues
= “Blue Dog” Coalition for fiscal responsibility
Now, “red vs. blue” states, polarization in Congress: Real or
Myth?
Driving force? ideology, issues, culture, the media, etc

13. Party polarization in Congress, from 1879 to 2003