1. Congress: Representation and Lawmaking
Chapter 6

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. 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

14. How a Bill Becomes a Law

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

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