POLS 2311 1st Edition Lecture 11 Outline of Last Lecture I. Congress: The Framers’ ViewII. Congress as a Career: Election to CongressOutline of Current Lecture II. Parties and Party LeadershipIII. Committees and Committee LeadershipIV. How a Bill Becomes a LawV. Congress’ Policymaking RuleCurrent LectureParties and Party LeadershipParty caucus—closed sessionParty Unity and Congress- Parties are the strongest force in Congress- Heightened unity seen through roll-call votesParty LeadershipHouse LeadersSpeaker of the House- Elected by House membership- By default, a member of the majority party- In ’06, Nancy Pelosi was the first woman to serve as the Speaker- Said to be the second powerful in Washington, after the PresidentHouse majority/minority leaderHouse majority/minority whipThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Party Leadership in CongressSenate Leaders- Majority party leader is the most powerful senator- The Vice President presides over the Senate; however, has power only for the tie breaking vote- Senate president pro tempore presides over the Senateo Largely honorary position held by majority party’s senior memberTypes of CommitteesStanding Committees- 20 in House- 16 in SenateSelect Committees—limited time/purposeJoint Committees- Members of both chambersConference CommitteesCommittees and Committee LeadershipCommittee Jurisdiction- Bill introduced must be referred to the proper committee for deliberationCommittee Membership- Typically mirrors the party ratio of the bodyCommittee Chairs- Typically senior members of the majority partyCommittees and Parties: Which is in control?How a Bill Becomes a LawCommittee Hearings and Decisions- Most work on legislation is done in committeesFrom Committee to the Floor- Rules for debate are definedLeadership and Floor Action- Debate, changes, and vote by full membershipConference Committees and the President- Reconcile differences between similar legislationCongress’ Policymaking RuleMake laws authorizing federal programsBroad issues: fragmentation as a limitation of Congress’ roleCongress in the lead: fragmentation as a policy making strengthThe Representative Function of Congress- Representation of states and districts- Representation of the nation through partiesOversight Function of Congress- Sees that executive branch carries out the laws