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THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS October 25, 2005. The Dynamics of Congressional Law-Making Inside CongressInside Congress –Within Each House –Between the Houses.

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Presentation on theme: "THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS October 25, 2005. The Dynamics of Congressional Law-Making Inside CongressInside Congress –Within Each House –Between the Houses."— Presentation transcript:

1 THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS October 25, 2005

2 The Dynamics of Congressional Law-Making Inside CongressInside Congress –Within Each House –Between the Houses Congress and the PresidentCongress and the President

3 Inside Congress -- The Two Houses Why Two Houses?Why Two Houses? –different basis of representation representation of constituencies versus representation of statesrepresentation of constituencies versus representation of states different weight of states in each housedifferent weight of states in each house

4 Inside Congress -- The Two Houses Why Two Houses?Why Two Houses? –different basis of representation –different electoral time-frame House of RepresentativeHouse of Representative –constant campaign mode – responsive to current political demands SenateSenate –more removed from immediate political pressure –can take long-term view

5 Inside Congress -- The Two Houses Why Two Houses?Why Two Houses? –different basis of representation –different electoral time-frame –each plays a different role and represents different interests

6 Inside Congress -- The Two Houses House of RepresentativesHouse of Representatives –unique powers introducing money billsintroducing money bills SenateSenate –unique powers ratification of presidential appointmentsratification of presidential appointments ratification of treatiesratification of treaties both play a role in routine law-makingboth play a role in routine law-making

7 Inside Congress -- Inside the House of Representatives Factors Effecting Voting in the House of RepresentativesFactors Effecting Voting in the House of Representatives –party influence –district influence –ideological influence –special interest influence

8 Inside Congress -- Inside the House of Representatives weak party disciplineweak party discipline –individual members are more open to outside influence responsiveresponsive can be controlled by outside interestscan be controlled by outside interests –importance of log-rolling broad benefits, compromisebroad benefits, compromise hard to get things donehard to get things done sometimes described as briberysometimes described as bribery

9 Inside Congress -- Inside the House of Representatives committee systemcommittee system –important –dominated according to seniority

10 Inside Congress -- Inside the Senate the Senate Atmosphere -- Senatorial Privilegesthe Senate Atmosphere -- Senatorial Privileges Cloture and the FilibusterCloture and the Filibuster the committee systemthe committee system

11 Inside Congress -- Between the Houses A Congress Divided?A Congress Divided? Differences between the HousesDifferences between the Houses –electoral time-frames –representational concerns –dynamics of operation balancing different interestsbalancing different interests

12 Congress and the President Presidential Support in CongressPresidential Support in Congress United vs. Divided GovernmentUnited vs. Divided Government –frequency –causes of divided government different bases of representationdifferent bases of representation split-ticket votingsplit-ticket voting

13 United and Divided Government, 1968-2004 1968-69 Nixon, Sen.=D, Rep=D1968-69 Nixon, Sen.=D, Rep=D 1970-71 Nixon, Sen.=D, Rep=D1970-71 Nixon, Sen.=D, Rep=D 1972-73 Nixon, Sen.=D, Rep=D1972-73 Nixon, Sen.=D, Rep=D 1974-75 Nixon/Ford, Sen.=D*, Rep=D1974-75 Nixon/Ford, Sen.=D*, Rep=D 1976-77 Carter, Sen.=D*, Rep=D1976-77 Carter, Sen.=D*, Rep=D 1978-79 Carter, Sen.=D, Rep=D1978-79 Carter, Sen.=D, Rep=D 1980-81 Reagan, Sen.=R, Rep=D1980-81 Reagan, Sen.=R, Rep=D 1982-83 Reagan, Sen.=R, Rep=D1982-83 Reagan, Sen.=R, Rep=D 1984-85 Reagan, Sen.=R, Rep=D1984-85 Reagan, Sen.=R, Rep=D 1986-87 Reagan, Sen.=R, Rep=D 1988-89 Bush, Sen.=D, Rep=D 1990-91 Bush, Sen.=D, Rep.=D 1992-93 Clinton, Sen.=D, Rep=D 1994-95 Clinton, Sen.=R, Rep=R 1996-97 Clinton, Sen.=R, Rep=R 1998-00 Clinton, Sen.=R, Rep=R 2000-02 Bush, Sen.=R, Rep=R 2002-04 Bush, Sen.=R, Rep=R *senate supermajority Total Years=36Total Years Divided Gov’t=26Total Years United Gov’t=10

14 Congress and the President Presidential Support in CongressPresidential Support in Congress United vs. Divided GovernmentUnited vs. Divided Government –frequency –causes of divided government –effects of divided vs. united government

15 Congress and the President Main Point!Main Point! –the degree to which Congress and the President have to work together is determined politically public demands that Congress and President work together!public demands that Congress and President work together!

16 Congress -- Main Point! the American Constitution deliberately makes it difficult to get legislation passedthe American Constitution deliberately makes it difficult to get legislation passed –the two houses of Congress are designed to act as a check on each other –Congress acts as a check on Presidency and vice versa the effect is that less gets donethe effect is that less gets done –however, to get things done requires a broad consensus politics demands that the two Houses and two branches (Congress and Presidency) work toegherpolitics demands that the two Houses and two branches (Congress and Presidency) work toegher

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