1. Chapter 7

2. Who Are Your Congressional Reps?
Missouri U. S. House of Representatives
By congressional district:
1st — Rep. Lacy Clay Jr. [D]
2nd — Rep. Ann Wagner [R]
3rd — Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer [R]
4th — Rep. Vicky Hartzler [R]
5th — Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II [D]
6th — Rep. Sam Graves [R]
7th — Rep. Billy Long [R]
8th — Rep. Jason Smith [R]
Missouri U. S. Senate
Blunt, Roy - (R )
McCaskill, Claire -(D)
New Missouri Congressional Districts as of
January 2013, based on 2010 Census

3. Missouri U.S. House Reps
Blaine
Ann
Lacy

4. Missouri Senators
Claire
Roy

5. In this lecture we will learn about
The clash between representation and lawmaking
The powers and responsibilities of Congress
Congressional membership and elections
The organization of Congress and the rules of congressional operation
The relationship of citizens to Congress

6. Representation and lawmaking
Representation: the efforts by elected officials to look out for the interests of those who elect them
Popular ways to ascertain interests
Town Hall Meeting
Surveys (phone and mail)
Staff analysis of and letters
Permitting “access” to interest groups from within district
Getting out of Washington and back to district for local conversations
Difference between representing the interests of constituency and the interests of the nation
Lawmaking: the creation of policy to address the problems and needs of the entire nation
Note that certain laws may favor certain lawmakers and hence certain districts more than others.
e.g. Tobacco Laws

7. Will your group be represented if you do not
register or turn out to vote?

8. The conflict between representation and law-making
Local good different from national good, and members favor representing their local constituencies
Difficult for members to fulfill their collective responsibility of national lawmaking
Explains why Americans hate Congress as a whole but love their own senators and representatives
Pork Barrel Spending Example
Extremely difficult to unseat an incumbent
Why the push for term limits
What are the benefits and detriments of term limits?

9. Robert Byrd
Byrd served as a Senator from 1959 to 2010 and is the longest-serving senator
and the longest-serving member in the history of the United States Congress, with a
61 year tenure. Byrd died in office, June 2010.

10. Article I Section 2 of the Constitution: the Legislature
Can states impose term limits on their Congressional Representatives?
In U.S. Term Limits Inc. v. Thornton (1995), the majority of S.C. Justices ruled that states cannot alter the constitutional qualifications for membership in Congress.
At that time, 23 states already imposed Congressional term limits.
What do you think about the constitutionality of term limits? Does anything in the Constitution prohibit the voters to prescribe eligibility requirements for congressional candidates?

11. Term Limits What about, Article 1 Section 4 of the Constitution?:
“The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations “
Ask yourself three questions:
What was intended by the framers
What is in keeping with precedent
What is the current political climate or the personal ideologies of the justices.

12. Term Limits Majority opinion:
“Permitting individual States to formulate diverse qualifications for their congressional representatives would result in a patch-work that would be inconsistent with the Framers’ vision of a uniform national Legislature representing the people of the United States”
Thought is that the Constitution grants authority to create procedural regulations, but does to provide States with license to exclude or limit access to federal office.
Dissenting opinion:
“ . . .where the Constitution is silent, it raises no bar to action by the States or the people”
What about end result (the incumbent problem)? Should the end result matter?

13. Four kinds of representation
Policy representation: congressional work to advance the issues and ideological preferences of constituents
Allocative representation: congressional work to secure projects, services, and funds for the represented district
Pork barrel: public works projects and grants for specific districts paid for by general revenues
Why engage in “allocative representation”?
A way to get re-elected. Congressional work manifested in physical improvement easier seen than social improvements
Not viewed negatively by constituents in district where improvements occur, but viewed negatively nationally.

14. Four kinds of representation, cont’d.
Casework: legislative work on behalf of individual constituents to solve their problems with government agencies and programs
Examples: Get someone off the “no fly” list
Intervene in bureaucratic red tape to force accessibility improvements to public structures (curb cuts for wheel chairs).
Symbolic representation: efforts of members of Congress to stand for American ideals or identify with common constituency values
Be present when an auto plant closes or when the bodies of service men and women arrive back into the district

15. Powers of the House vs. the Senate
Bicameral legislature: legislature with two chambers
Constitutional differences
Term length, age, apportionment, treaties, appointments, etc.
Organizational differences
Size, number of committees, Rules Committee, limits on debate
Electoral differences
Campaign spending

16. Differences between the House and the Senate
House Senate
Constitutional Differences
Term length 2 years 6 years
Minimum age
Citizenship required 7 years 9 years
Residency In state In state
Apportionment Changes with population Fixed; entire state
Impeachment Impeaches official Tries impeached official
Treaty-making power No authority 2/3 approval
Presidential appointments No authority Majority approval
Organizational Differences
Size members 100 members
Number of standing committees
Total committee assignments per member Approx. 6 Approx. 11
Rules Committee Yes No
Limits on floor debate Yes No (filibuster possible)
Electoral Differences
Costs of elections
Incumbents $1.26 million $9.4 million
Challengers $510, $5.4 million
Open seat $1.5 million $10.4 million
Incumbency advantage 98% reelected 96% reelected
(93.4% 50-year average) (80.4% 50-year average)
Source: Roger Davidson and Walter Oleszek, Congress and Its Members, 11th ed. (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2008), 63, 209; Federal Election Commission data compiled by Center for Responsive Politics; calculations by authors.

17. Checks and balances: Congress and the president
Congress passes bills; president signs or vetoes
President’s State of the Union address formulates policy
President executes laws and is in charge of administering executive branch; Congress exercises oversight of executive branch activities
Do you think Congress does a good job of oversight?
FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
SEC (Securities Exchange Commission)
President appoints cabinet, ambassadors, judges to federal courts
Senate has “advise and consent” role
President represents national constituency; Congress represents district or state constituencies

18. Checks and balances: Congress and the judiciary
Congress makes the laws; the courts interpret them; executive branch implements them
Congress sets up lower federal courts, determines salaries; and Congress approves the creation of military tribunals
Congress decides jurisdiction for courts to hear cases (sets up the districts)
Congress passes legislation that limits courts’ discretion to rule or impose sentences.
If the S.C. rules in a way that Congress does not like, Congress passes legislation to counter-it; then S.C. must use their power of judicial review to counter that Congressional action – and so forth.
Current example: Campaign finance and Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission.

19. Congressional elections
Politics of defining congressional districts
Reapportionment: a reallocation of congressional seats among the states every ten years, following the census
Redistricting: process of redrawing of district lines in states with more than one representative (carried out by state legislators or commission)
Gerrymandering: redistricting to benefit a particular group

20. Districting What does “gerrymander” mean?
Under Article I Section 4 of the Constitution, Congress is in charge of dividing the 435 Representatives between the states and states are responsible for districting so that each district is as equal as possible for the selection of Representatives
What does “gerrymander” mean?
Drawing the boundaries of a district in a way that will create an electoral advantage to one group or party over another.

21. Types of gerrymandering
Pro-incumbent gerrymandering / Partisan gerrymandering
Racial gerrymandering: redistricting to enhance or reduce the chances that a racial or an ethnic group will elect members to the legislature
Majority-minority districts after Voting Rights Act (1982)

22. Gerrymandering
YES NO

23. Gerrymandering
Close up of Illinois Congressional Districts 11 and 17

24. Deciding to run for Congress
Who can run?
Age (25 House, 30 Senate)
Citizenship (U.S. born or naturalized, 7 years for House , 9 for Senate)
and residency qualifications (must reside in the State when elected)
Why would anyone want this job?
Sense of duty, policy, ideology
Pay, perks, power
Down side: hard work, low job security, expensive
Youngest House Member
Aaron Schock, R-Ill born 1981

25. Deciding to run for Congress, cont’d.
Strategic politician: office-seeker who bases the decision to run on a rational calculation that he or she will be successful
Understands national trends
Can pass vetting process

26. Who gets elected?
Congress does not represent the public demographically
(112 Congress next slide)
Descriptive representation: the idea that an elected body should mirror demographically the population it represents

27. 112th Congress
Religion Composition by Party *Christians: 399    *Republicans: 241    *Democrats: 158       *Protestants: 249          *Republicans: 164          *Democrats: 85       *Catholics: 133          *Democrats: 70          *Republicans: 63       *Mormons: 9          *Republicans: 8          *Democrats: 1 *Jews: 27    *Democrats: 26    *Republicans: 1 *Buddhists: 3    *Democrats: 3    *Republicans: 0 *Muslims: 2    *Democrats: 2    *Republicans: 0 *Agnostics/Atheists: 1    *Democrats: 1    *Republicans: 0
*Unstated/Ambiguous: 3    *Democrats: 3    *Republicans: 0
Party Composition *Republicans: 242 (55.63%) *Democrats: 193 (44.37%) Gender Composition *Men: 363 (83.45%) *Women: 72 (16.55%) Party Composition by Gender *Republicans    *Men: 218 (90.08%)    *Women: 24 (9.92%) *Democrats    *Men: 145 (75.13%)    *Women: 48 (24.87%)
Sexual Orientation
Composition by Party *Straight/Heterosexuals: 431    *Republicans: 242    *Democrats: 189 *Gay/Homosexuals: 4    *Democrats: 4    *Republicans: 0
Racial Composition *Caucasians/Whites: 362 (83.22%) *African Americans/Blacks: 42 (9.66%) *Hispanics/Latinos: 24 (5.52%) *Asians: 6 (1.38%) *Native Americans: 1 (0.23%)

28. How Congress works: organization
Central role of party
Parties frequently vote in unison in Congress
Majority party controls leadership structure

29. Organization, cont’d.
Speaker of the House: majority party leader, serves as presiding officer of the House
Speaker has more power in House than majority leader has in Senate
Leadership power depends on person and amount of power given by party members, but typically is in charge of setting legislative agenda
(1) preside over the daily sessions, (2) preserve order in the chamber, (3) state parliamentary motions, (4) rule on parliamentary questions, (4) appoint committee chairs and members, (5) refer bills to committee, (6) sign legislation, (7) act as the official spokesman for the House or Assembly.

30. John Boehner
Speaker of the House
Kevin McCarthy
House Majority Leader
Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
Nancy Pelosi
House Minority Leader
President Pro Tem
Daniel Inouye
Patrick Leahy
Senate President Pro tem
Mitch McConnell
Senate Minority Leader

31. Committee system: types of committees
Standing committees: permanent committees responsible for legislation in particular policy areas.
Where the real work is done! Speeches for t.v. audience.
Speech in Empty Chamber
Draft legislation and provide oversight
Committee chairs wield considerable power
House Rules Committee: determines how and when debate on a bill will take place
Getting on “right” committee essential for members of Congress , hence why it was a problem having term limits in some states and not others

32. House of Rep. Standing Committees
Agriculture
Appropriations
Armed Services
Budget
Education and Labor
Energy and Commerce
Financial Services
Foreign Affairs
Homeland Security
House Administration
Judiciary
Natural Resources
Oversight and Government Reform
Rules
Science and Technology
Small Business.
Standards of Official Conduct
Transportation and Infrastructure
Veterans' Affairs
Ways and Means

33. Committee system, cont’d.
Select committees: appointed to deal with an issue or a problem not suited to a standing committee
Joint committees: combined House-Senate committee formed to coordinate activities and expedite legislation in a certain area
Select Committees:
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Joint Committees of the Congress:
Economic
Library
Printing
Taxation

34. Committee system, cont’d.
Conference committees: formed temporarily to reconcile differences in House and Senate versions of a bill
May alter or rewrite legislation
Current Hearing Schedule
Congressional resources (staff and bureaucracy) have grown

35. How Congress works: process and politics
Separate houses, identical bills
Bicameral legislature
Fragmentation of legislative power
Committees break up legislation
Norms of conduct: informal rules that govern behavior in Congress
Norms have changed, leading to adversarial behavior
The “You Lie” incident

36. How a bill becomes a law – some of the time
Getting on the legislative agenda
President: State of the Union, exercises role as policy entrepreneur; highly publicized agenda
Legislative process
Introduced and then moves through committees (most often dies here or is marked up)

37. How a bill becomes a law, cont’d.
Getting to the floor
House has rules on debate from Rules Committee
Senate can offer amendments or filibuster (stopped only by cloture)
Final challenge: consideration by full House and/or Senate
Roll call vote; if bill passes with different language, must go to conference committee
Presidential veto
Congress can override veto with two-thirds vote in each chamber

39. The citizens and Congress: why the public dislikes Congress
Feb. 14th, Recent polling by Washington Post-ABC News poll found that “The deep recession, continued high unemployment and political polarization in Washington have put the country in a sour mood toward politicians.” According to this poll, disapproval of Congress reached 71 percent in February (The Washington Post)
- Current polling
Changing nature of campaigns (voter cynicism and candidates running against Congress)
Negative media coverage of Congress
Role of money in congressional elections
Need to raise funds
Suspicion about special interest access

40. Why the public dislikes Congress, cont’d.
Dissatisfaction with congressional politics
Want efficiency, not bickering
Reforms are not likely to work
Congress has problems policing itself
Founders intended Congress not to move hastily