POLS 1101 Lecture 9 Outline of Last Lecture I Constitutional Prerogatives A Powers of Congress B Structure II Causes of Individualism in Congress A Plurality SMD B Primaries C Redistricting III Redistricting and One Person One Vote IV Gerrymandering V Redistricting and Minority Representation VI Partisan and Racial Redistricting VII Best Type of Representation VIII The Incumbency Advantage Outline of Current Lecture I Internal Institutions of Congress and Unstable Coalitions II Party Leaders III Committees A Types of Committees B Committee memberships IV Other internal features V Legislative Process I VI Legislative Process II VII Senate Distinctiveness Current Lecture I Internal Institutions of Congress and Unstable Coalitions Institutions and procedures of Congress are designed to grant agenda control to a subset of people Agenda control helps overcome unstable coalition problems and prevent chaos II III Party Leaders Party leaders solve coordination and unstable coalition problems by enforcing party discipline HOR where republican party is majority who prefer to advance different types of bills Reed s Rules provide procedural guidelines for party leaders 125 years old he saw unstable coalitions and set up rules that helped limit debate and make some structure Party leaders are elected at the beginning of a Congress by the members of each party every two years a Speaker of the House leader of HOR comes from majority party b Majority Minority Leader HOR Senate c Majority Minority Whip HOR Senate Committees Much of the detailed legislative work in Congress occurs in committees Each committee focuses on a particular area of policy jurisdiction Allows for specialization and expertise in committees so better public policy Also allows self selection for members who may craft legislation find district benefits or rise in prestige A Types of Committees Standing committees o Exist permanently Special select committees o Formed for a specific purpose conduct investigations Joint committees o Members of House and Senate no legislative authority Conference committees o Both chambers pass bills that are a little different and come to a compromise o Members of House and Senate for resolving differences over a bill B Committee memberships Determining committee assignments is a highly political process IV V VI o Party leaders determine committee assignments and therefore more loyal members are rewarded seniority Chairs of committees and chairs of subcommittees are powerful because they are agenda setters in that committee or sub committee they decide what gets voted on or not o Agenda setters Help to resolve unstable coalition issues o Ranking member like a shadow committee chair person who is very likely to be committee chair person Other internal features Caucuses staff and research services also play a role in Congress Caucuses are a way for members to group themselves for business CBO and CRS provide independent information for members do research and report back example is budget research Legislative Process I Bill proposals only legislators can introduce bills Bills referred to proper committee based on jurisdiction and party goals Committee action o Most bills not acted on in committee o Committees may mark up bills for the floor House uses special rules to bring bills to the floor o Open rules closed rules and restricted rules Senate uses unanimous consent agreements to bring bills to floor this empowers individuals Legislative Process II Floor action can be exciting though typically well scripted Little debate chambers almost empty Roll calls in both chambers Resolving differences between House and Senate bills Enrolled bills sent to president o Sign veto pocket veto or pocket sign House and Senate can override veto with 2 3 vote of each chamber Separation of powers system creates bias against action institutional friction Floor action can be exciting though typically well scripted Little debate chambers almost empty Roll calls in both chambers Resolving differences between House and Senate bills Enrolled bills sent to president o Sign veto pocket veto or pocket sign VII House and Senate can override veto with 2 3 vote of each chamber Separation of powers system creates bias against action institutional friction Senate Distinctiveness Unlimited debate is allowed o Filibuster o Cloture Committees less powerful o No germaneness rule Parties less powerful o Individual rights trump collective action in Senate