1. Taking Stands for Electoral Connection?
Congress: the Electoral Connection by Mayhew (1974)
“We can all point to a good many instances in which congressmen seem to have gotten into trouble by being on the wrong side in a roll call vote, but who can think of one where a member got into trouble by being on the losing side?”
Some examples of MCs “willing to be on the losing side”
Southern Democrats and civil rights bills in the 1960s
Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) and health care reform final passage in
the House (2009)

2. III. Congress as a frustrating place
Congressional Approval Rating “All Time Low”  9% (Nov 12, 2013)

3. 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)

4. 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 & the “Tea Party” members
New majority coalitions
= Democratic House and Senate (40 years)
= GOP House & GOP Senate
= Dem House & Dem Senate (Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker)
= GOP House & Dem Senate
2015- = GOP House and Senate
New issues = the war on terror, global warming, stem-cell research, environmental protection, consumer rights, trade with China, etc

5. 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?

6. General trends: Size of the House

7. Apportionment of the House based on the 2010 Census

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

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

10. “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

11. 103rd Senate (1993-94) vs. 111th Senate (2009-2010)